Alexandrine Ockley
by 13litz13last
Summary: One of Carlisle's old Volturi friends comes by to visit--but it's not who you think. As she tries to learn their way of life and cope, what adventures will this extra-ordinary vampire create in the calm life of the Cullens? Pre-Bella start
1. Prologue

Carlisle had a feeling. If he'd been able to sleep, he'd probably have slept on it, but as it was he thought hard. Edward, out of respect, left him alone.

So, when Esme suggested that he go get the mail--which none of them ever did, because they never, _ever _got mail--he knew this was it. They never even got bills, because they'd paid off the cost of the house a long time ago. Something was up.

Even when Esme said it, she made a face that said, "Why did I say that?" But Carlisle wasn't about to let it by. Something was going to happen.

Quickly, but humanly, he made his way down the swerving dirt road, through the beautiful scenery, to the small, slanted, never-used mailbox.

And who would have guessed? Mail. It was so strange, that even Carlisle, who was an experienced vampire, was taken aback.

It was addressed to him, in perfect typed print. Strangely, it had no return address.

He began to fret then. What if it was the Volturi, wanting to visit? Or to have him visit them? Or, have _all _of them visit them? What if they wanted him back? Or Edward, or Alice? What if they wanted to warn them that if they did anything, they'd definitely be after them?

All of this took place in the space of five seconds, all those racing thoughts. With a sigh, he quickly opened the letter and stared at the handsome script, which he at once recognized.

_Master Carlisle Cullen,_

_How are you? It's been decades. Maybe even centuries. My memory is fading, strangely. I suppose my age has something to do with it. Though I, of course, don't look old!_

_It took a lot for me to write this letter, Car. You know of my ill faith in any one country's government--especially of the U.S., but I suppose they wouldn't interrupt the sending of a measly letter to the little town of Forks, would they?_

_When I realized you were living there, I was taken aback. Do you know--well, you must, by now--that strange creatures run beside you? Furry beasts, of a sort? Do whatever you like, Carlisle, but take care until I arrive._

_Which brings me to my main point. I've lost interest in the Volturi presently, and I've taken to the idea of getting to know your strange system of living better. I'll be there in a matter of days. _

_I hope you shall greet me with open arms as you always had in our days beneath the streets of Volterra._

_My best regards, _

_Alexandrine Ockley._

Carlisle's earlier sense of dread evaporated. He smiled, quite genuinely.

"So _she's _coming," he said to himself, carefully returning the letter to its delicate envelope.


	2. Discussion

"What's her name?" Edward asked.

Carlisle had just finished explaining the newcomer to his coven. They were sitting around their large dining room table, which had gone largely unused--for reasons obvious to us.

At Edward's question, everyone turned. They stared. Except for Carlisle.

How could Edward, who could read everyone's mind, possibly ask any sort of question in the presence of someone who knew the answer to said question? This was unheard of.

As the rest gaped, Carlisle smiled. "Alexandrine Ockley. It doesn't surprise me, your confusion."

Edward, of course, was the _most _confused of them. How could his powers fail?

As they each tried to grip for the reason of this, Carlisle explained: "That's her power! No vampire ability, mental or physical, has _any _affect on her. Even indirectly, as Edward just showed us. Even a mind-reader can't read the thoughts that have anything to do with her, simply because they concern her."

She was invincible, it seemed. Even indirect abilties could not work on her!

Alice rolled her eyes, disbelieving. "Oh, please--"

Suddenly, she gasped. Her eyes glazed over, as she tried to read the future.

"No!" she muttered angrily. "I can't see a thing!" She clenched her fists. "This is going to get _really _annoying."

"I suppose she's made the decision to come here," Carlisle murmured. "Wow. I haven't seen her in the longest time."

"I wonder how Aro will deal with her decision to join us?" Esme mused.

"If I know Aro," Carlisle chuckled, "Then I know he won't be the slightest bit at ease."

"Even the bashful Aro?" Jasper said. "From what I hear, it is very difficult to push him off his rocker."

"His rocker?" Esme asked, confused.

"New-fashioned lingo, Ma," Emmett said, and added for her benefit, "Means he's like a physcopath who is always happy."

"Ah."

Edward leaned back in his chair, thinking hard. Would this be good for them, or not? What if this newcomer would be so accustomed to the old life that she would completely endanger their existence in this God forsaken town?

Carlisle, sensing Edward's unease, announced, "I'm sure it will be fairly easy for us to teach Xan."

Edward cocked an eyebrow. "Xan?"

"Her nickname," Carlisle answered. "Her full name is Alexandrine, but she likes it shortened to Xan. Ale-Xan-drine, you see."

Edward waved his hand impatiently. "No. I'll call her Alexandrine."

"I'll call her Drine," Emmett laughed.

"No, Emmett," Carlisle cautioned. "She hates that." Then he turned to Edward. "Just so you know, she's the joking type, so you might be referred to...as...well..."

"Eddie?" Alice suggested.

"Precisely."

At this, Edward jumped from his seat. "I will absolutely not stand for such a name!"

Emmett giggled. "Wow, Eddie, calm down."

Edward glared at Emmett. "Stupid Fifties idiot."

"At least I'm not as old as you," Emmett scoffed. "And anyway, it doesn't matter. You have the same name as Eddie the delivery boy, from Rocky Horror!"

Carlisle could tell they were about to go at it, and soon, so he stood and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Now, let's settle down."

"I will if that animal does," Edward growled to Emmett.

Emmett oinked like a pig and crashed back down into his chair.

So it was resolved, with hesitance from Edward. They would allow the girl to stay at their home, and try to teach her the Ways of the Cullens.

"Yippee," said Rosalie, drearily rising from the table. "Just what we need. Didn't we already seal the deal in our crazy family with Jasper and Alice?"

"Are you implying that we're crazy?" Alice asked defensively.

"Well, we weren't nearly as crazy until you guys came around."

Carlisle knew he was in for a long night.

--

_Hello, it is me, ze writer. This is my first Twilight fanfic. Hope you like it!_

_For those of you who are unaware, Eddie is a guy from my favorite movie, Rocky Horror Picture show._

_I wish Edward was called Eddie more often in Twilight._

_Wait, was he ever called Eddie?_

_Man, I wish. Whatev._


	3. Arrival

It was the weekend, when she arrived. The day before, Edward had been working on the bushes surrounding the house. As he snipped away with astonishing speed, Carlisle decided to help his eldest son, who seemed to be tense at the idea of Alexandrine's coming.

"May I join you?" Carlisle asked politely, looking over Edward's shoulder.

Edward practically jumped in his skin. Even vampires became lost in what they were doing, sometimes. "Sure," he said quickly.

Then he sighed. "Is this about Alexandrine?"

Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "Of course not! What makes you think that?"

"Either you've mastered zen and the stopping of all thoughts, or you've finally reached your limit and your brain has ceased to work."

Carlisle allowed a chuckle. "It's just that I find your behavior troublesome."

"Why?" he went on snipping. "So I don't like her coming here. Is that against the law, or something?"

Carlisle smiled. "Of course not. But that opinion is widely unfounded. You haven't even met her."

"But even so, I dislike her."

"Why?" Carlisle asked, genuinely concerned and seemingly fascinated. "I've never seen you like this."

"She's Volturi!" Edward practically shouted. "She's been living the life of constant killing and feeding off innocents for--how old is she? Either way, what if she messes up? We've been doing good here, for once!"

Carlisle nodded. "I supposed this would be the reason. But no need to worry," he assured. "She's quite in control of herself."

"Oh?" Edward confronted. "How so?"

"One time," Carlisle said, laughing, "She had a fight with Caius. She was so angry, she wouldn't allow herself to feed with him. So she passively looked on as they had a huge feast--she didn't even waver!"

Edward wasn't convinced. "That was a hundred years ago, at least," he reasoned. "She's too used to her life."

"And you're used to yours, yet you still long for blood." At the mention, Edward's throat tightened.

"That's the perfect example!" he choked out.

Carlisle put a hand on his shoulder, as a crack of thunder sounded above them. Rain, of course. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

Edward scoffed and continued his angry snipping of the bushes' leaves.

Then Carlisle smiled mischeviously. "I even think you'll rather...er..._like _her..."

In a flash, the clippers were embedded into the earth and Edward was charging off the lawn, and into the woods. In a second, he disappeared.

Carlisle knew he was angry at such a suggestion, especially since Carlisle had already tried to set him up with Rose in earlier years. But he couldn't help it. Maybe they _would _like each other.

--

She came under veil of darkness, as any smart vampire would do. She had slunk through the deserted town of Forks under the pouring rain, and into the road that led to the Lair of the Cullens.

It was only when she was entering the meadow that was the Cullens yard that they realized her prescence. None of their abilities worked on her, and they'd been neglectful enough to be so wrapped up in their own things that they didn't realize her arrival.

It came to a surprise to Emmett, who was the first to notice the crunching of footsteps outside.

"Wow! She's so close!" he murmured, and immediately the others realized it, too.

They sprang from whatever they were doing--Emmett lifting weights uselessly, Edward and Alice in a heated battle of chess, Jasper studying, Rosalie checking her looks in a mirror, Esme and Carlisle reading some medical textbooks--and ran to the door just as she arrived at the front steps.

Even before the door opened, they were all aware of her. And they were stunned, as Carlisle had predicted.

Jasper tentatively pulled open the door, and before them stood their awaited visitor: Alexandrine Ockley.

Before them stood a four foot five, smiling, happy thirteen-year-old. Or, rather, it seemed she'd been turned when she was thirteen.

An immortal child.

She was dripping wet, a rather cute-looking rain coat slung recklessly around her. They all stared, except for Carlisle, who openly welcomed her with a firm handshake. She had flowing, long brown hair, which framed her reddish-black eyes. Her smile was dazzling, even among vampires.

"Carlisle!" she purred. "So great to see you!"

The five children of Carlisle and Esme gave each other a glance that meant the same thing.

Holy shit.


	4. Why Doesn't Eddie Like Me?

"So, what now?" Xan asked.

Everyone was seated at the never-used table, staring silently at one another. It seemed to Xan that it was indeed quite boring.

They'd just introduced themselves--that was all. So now, they knew each others' names--and the rest was a complete mystery.

Edward was even more angry at her than before. He hadn't thought it possible--not that he hated her guts before, but because he hadn't thought he was capable of disliking someone very much. He believed it was below him. But low and behold, she infuriated him.

Why? Her cheery attitude wasn't something that neccesarily angered Edward, but the fact that the room was completely silent. Even to him! Everyone was centering their thoughts on her, rendering him, seemingly, completely defenseless. He didn't like his abilties undermined.

"Well," Carlisle spoke up, checking the clock on the wall, "It's five to seven. And since we don't sleep, we have all the time in the world--though, they have to go to school tomorrow."

Five heads nodded solemnly.

"Will I be attending school as well?" asked Xan eagerly.

"Not until we make sure you don't go on a killing rampage," Edward said through clenched teeth. "Until then, your existence will be completely unknown."

"Wow," Xan giggled. "Do I sense some resentment?"

Edward politely excused himself from the table. Xan watched him go, red eyes shining with deep thought.

"Why doesn't Eddie like me, Car?" she asked Carlisle, not sounding the least bit concerned.

Emmett burst out laughing. "She called him Eddie! And Carlisle 'Car'!"

"I'm not sure," Carlisle said apologetically, even though he knew full well.

"Oh, well," she smiled at him. "We'll figure it out. Anyway, how have you been, Car?"

"Great, actually," he answered.

"Aro told me you've got a job as a doctor?"

"Yes, at the local hospital."

"Wow. For a vampire, that's quite a milestone." She giggled. "It's like saying, 'I'll be the first person in my family to go to college!'"

She smiled, but no one but Carlisle smiled back.

Emmett leaned forward. "Wow, so, how old were you when you turned?"

She seemed taken aback by the question, but even so, Jasper could not sense this. It agrivated him, as well.

"Thirteen," she said passively.

"What year?"

She shrugged. "A thousand or so B.C. I've lost track."

Emmett threw himself from his chair, and starting jumping up and down, unable to hide his amazement. "Really? You're that old?" Even the others seemed amazed.

She smiled. "Ha, I get that a lot. Yup."

"You don't look it!"

"My skin is only starting to fade out, like the Volturi's."

"How long have you been with them?" Jasper asked quietly.

"A few hundred years, I believe," Xan answered. "I don't remember." She smiled at Carlisle. "I'd been away for them for about a decade, taking a break, when I came upon this fellow."

Carlisle smiled. "Yes, in my human days, even. Those are the only memories of my human life that I can remember at all."

"Your human years?" Alice gasped. "Really?"

Xan nodded. "Uh-huh," she said. "I was checking out his dad, who was a really passionate vampire hunter, to see if he would cause trouble for us, on a voluntary favor for Aro. I found out that he was just insane."

The four remaining vamp teens swiveled their heads to Carlisle, to see if he would mind such a name for his father, but he was completely ok with it.

"But when I saw his kid," Xan giggled, "I couldn't help myself!"

"You had a crush on him?" Emmett suggested.

"No! Well, maybe a little, I don't remember. But he was good-looking, and studied a lot. I knew he would go places. He was very interesting."

"You sooo dug him." Emmett snickered.

"We used to have such fun," Carlisle reminisced, ignoring Emmett.

"_Yesss,_" Xan murmured. "We did. We would play catch and such, when you were younger. And you used to tell me about your life. And I would tell you mine, but you always thought of it as just stories I made up."

"But you're a vampire!" Jasper said quietly.

"I know, but my thirst wasn't that bad, and I usually hung out with Car only on cloudy days." She waved it away. "Anyway, when I saw him introduce himself to the Volturi a few decades later--he'd been a vampire for some time, mind you--I couldn't believe my eyes!"

Carlisle smiled. "Yes, I as well, friend. I hadn't realized you were of another species."

"Oh, yes!" Xan cried. "And that reminds me! How have your studies been going? I mean, of us vampires? About the mystery that is the vampire species?"

Carlisle's eyes twinkled. "I've gotten very far. I'll have to show you sometime, but not now. We have to get you aquainted with my children and wife."

Xan blinked, and became aware again that there were others. She smiled. "Yes. What a coven, as well. So big!"

Carlisle smiled. "Yes."

"And any special talent, perhaps, that I've devastated?"

Alice sighed and stood, holding out a hand. "I'm Alice, as I said earlier." They shook. "I _normally _have the ability to view into the future."

Alexandrine nodded. "Yes, I believe Aro mentioned that."

Jasper stood. "Yes, I'm Jasper. I can feel peoples' emotions."

"Oh!" Xan smiled. "Wow, interesting. Never heard anything like it."

"And Edward, my eldest," Carlisle said, "Who left earlier--he can read minds."

"Ah, yes," Xan said. "I've heard."

"Well, I believe we should start in on your training," Esme said quietly. "Carlisle?"

"Ah, yes," Carlisle said, standing and showing Xan to their library. "Now, the first step to 'blood sobriety' is..."

Upstairs, Edward lied on his bed-couch-thing, staring at the ceiling. He had listened to the entire conversation, and he couldn't help but think that 'Xan' would mean the end of their stay in the pleasant town of Forks. That she would mean the end of his sort-of happy days with Carlisle and his family.

Lightning crackled outside his window as he looked on.


	5. Mad Doggy Dog

_Hi, it's the writer. One note here: I have, in fact, read all four books of the Twilight series. Meaning I know everything you know about it--well, probably, unless you're a dedicated fan that reads every extra thing that is published about Twilight. But here's the point: these vampires have yet to meet Bella, and they don't know everything they find out later. So don't write a comment saying, "No, you're wrong, blah, blah, blah," because I probably know, but I'm writing it in their point of view, and you're stupid._

_So, yeah. Enjoy!_

--

The next day, Edward and the rest were gone at school, and Xan had been given the run-down of what, basically, she had to do. She was working on it, and so far, it was just fine for her. Now, she had nothing to do.

"This is easy," she gloated, dancing into Carlisle's office/library. It was his day off. "I don't see why everyone makes it such a big deal."

"You're not thirsty at all?" Carlisle asked, intrigued.

"Well, yeah, thirsty as hell. But it's not like I can't ignore it or anything."

Carlisle smiled. "Tomorrow, we'll take you hunting."

"We? All of you?"  
"No, probably just Jasper and Emmett."

"Yes, I don't believe Edward would be as happy at the idea of spending any extra time with me than he has to." Xan sighed. Carlisle turned back to his books.

"What are you reading?" Xan asked.

"Just some menuscripts I wrote in the past."

"Let me see! Let me see!" Xan cried, jumping around the desk to look over Carlisle's shoulder.

"It's just some random thoughts of mine I'd written down," Carlisle said, as if that disputed any mess-ups or mediocrity within his writing.

It started off with just writing, not with Carlisle's name or even a title. Xan held up the paper, and set her mind to English reading--she knew twelve other languages, fluently.

_The idea of our existence would come, to many scientists, as an impossibility. And it should be!_

_According to science, any living thing--and every living thing--has to, in some way, perform every life process. Movement, reproduction, the ability to respond to any stimulus, ingestion, digestion, respiration, excretion, and growth are these processes._

_Movement--we vampires, obviously, do this very well. We can move extraordinarily fast, and do other such things with great speed and accuracy. _

_Reproduction--this remains a mystery. It isn't proven that any such vampire, male or female, could bear or not bear children. It is still under suspicion that we can, in fact, mate with human life--but that has yet to be tried. (Hopefully, I'm unsure.)_

_ Stimuli/Response--yes, we vampires do have this ability, and it works perfectly well. _(For those who don't know, this process means that if something happens to you, you react. For example: a stimuli would be someone calling your name. Your response would be to look at them, stop what you're doing, jump in surprise, or hit them across the face with a giant frying pan.)

_Ingestion--the ability to take in food. A tricky one. Yes, we don't have to eat food. But we do need blood. Though it isn't true that it has to be human, as I've found out, I lived a long time in my younger vampire days not drinking at all, but I never died. Would I have died if I had continued upon that path, or just lived on, half-crazy as I was? _

_Digestion--Yes, we do process our food or blood._

_Respiration--The ability to process the food or blood using oxygen. Somehow, the blood we drink is processed and used as energy by us, but this can only be done using respiration, which breaks down the food using oxygen. The trouble is, it is known by us that we cannot die if we cease to breathe, though it would grow uncomfortable. If this is true, then how can we possibly digest our food by voluntarily ending our breathing?_

_Excretion--the most troubling of all! If we take in food, or drink, rather, we must excrete as well, no? But it seems our bodies won't do so! We do not "go" in any form whatsoever! How can we take in food if we cannot release it? We can excrete in other ways--breathing out, saliva, and such--but we don't sweat, either._

_Finally, growth--Simply put, we do not grow in any way sense or form. Well, I suppose we do--as newborns, in that one year, we are readily strong. Stronger than our older selves! But as we grow older, we become weaker--as the Volturi tell us, with their light, transparent skin and milky eyes. If this is so, maybe we vampires do, somehow, die, eventually--just after a long period of time. If we grow weak with the millenia, perhaps we do die of old age, after a very, very long time. _

_So it remains to be seen whether we are living or not. We think, we move, we act, we decide things--but are we not living because we do not perform these processes? What, in essence, does it mean to "live"? Scientifically, or phsychologically? _

Xan put down the manuscript and just stared at it. They brought up many valid points.

"Carlisle, you're sick," she said quietly.

Carlisle frowned, obviously hurt. "What?"

Xan held up her hands. "No, no! I mean, in new lingo--sick, meaning a good thing."

"Sick?" Carlisle repeated.

"Yes. It means awesome. Ill could be used as well. You're so ill, you know? You're so mad doggy dog. Down with it, my homedog. Fer shizzle, ma nizzle. You catch my drift, playah?"

Carlisle stared at her, and stared. Finally, he slowly put away the manuscript. "I think the lack of blood is going to your brain," he murmured.

Xan laughed. "Tell that to all the people who actually _use _those terms."

"Sadly deranged fellows," said Carlisle.


	6. I'll Share With You a Story

"Yay!" cried a certain bright young girl, hopping up and down as Jasper and Emmett pulled on their coats. (That was just for looks).

Emmett grinned. "Mountain lion, bear, or both?"

Xan's eyes widened. "But...but...they're animals! We have to preserve wildlife!"

Emmett laughed. "Their population won't be in trouble," he explained. "There's too many to count."

"Oh, good," Xan laughed. "I was just saying that for looks, 'cuz apparently people are all worried. I wasn't supposed to, 'cuz I was a girl, but I used to hunt every day when I was human. I hunted animals that are now extinct, actually," she said, seeming to just realize this.

"Hey, Xan," Jasper said quietly. "Why do you talk with such...such..."

"New lingo?" Xan finished his sentence. "I know, it's weird. But I've always been fascinated by how society progresses, and couldn't help myself in listening to it. In fact, many languages have a lot of slang, even in the past. It's fun to listen to it. Let's go, then. Word."

Emmett, Jasper, and Xan left then, to travel to the Olympic mountains to hunt their favorite wild beasts.

Once Edward was sure they were out of hearing range, he immediately jumped all the stairs at once, down to the main floor, and out the door.

Taking the old Volvo, he drove as fast as he could--which was maddeningly slow, actually--to the hospital.

Carlisle was in his office, finishing paperwork, when he barged in, wearing a green tee-shirt with baggy pants.

"God, Edward," Carlisle said, without looking up. "I think the nurse that just passed blew a sinus with that nose bleed."

Edward looked down at himself. "Am I really that good looking?" he said aloud, mostly to himself.

"Tell that to all the fangirls who liked the Twilight movie even though it really sucked and they could have made it so much better. I mean, they pretty much took out the entire, cool meadow scene. And you weren't sparkly enough, and we didn't look like we were running fast, we looked like we were running slow..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Why are you here?"

Instantly, Carlisle's thoughts became indecipherable--they disappeared, almost midsentence. _Could this be about--_end.

"That's so annoying!" he nearly yelled. "Stop thinking about her! Now!"

Carlisle was unable to, it seemed, because there were no more voices except for faint noises coming from patient's rooms.

"What?" Carlisle said with a sigh. "I thought you might be glad that the voices inside your head finally stopped." He let out a mischeivious grin.

Edward loomed over him then, having crossed the room in little under a second. Carlisle was unafraid, of course, but concerned about his reaction. This was quite unlike him. He was usually a calm fellow.

"Really, what?" Carlisle asked, inaudible to human ears but completely understandable to Edward.

"_Like _her?" he rasped angrily. "_Like _her?"

Carlisle raised his hands over his head, exasperated. "What, Edward? I can't think that that's possible?"

"She's a child!"

Carlisle smiled and lowered his arms. "Let me give you a word of advice: never, _ever _say that to her. You don't want to know the consequences."

"Huh?" Edward asked.

"I'll share with you a story," he said mysteriously. "Sit down."

Edward sat on a rather comfortable chair before Carlisle's desk.

"It was a few months after I'd joined the Volturi. The room was fairly empty, the main room, you know, there was just Marcus, Caius and Aro, me, some of the guard, and our friend, Xan."

Edward nodded for him to continue.

"Well, Aro was getting rather exasperated. He still couldn't hear any of Xan's thoughts. Worse, sometimes he'd listen to someone else's thoughts and they'd be inaudible as well, because they were thinking of Xan."

Edward nodded, wanting him to get to the point.

"Angrily, or, as angrily as the abnormally cheerful Aro can be, he commanded me to come over. He put his hand on my arm, but I was thinking about how funny it was that he couldn't hear Xan's thoughts. He sighed. 'I hope you're not thinking about her in a bad way,' he'd said.

"'Of course not!' I'd responded. Xan giggled, and it looked as if she would have blushed if she could have. Unfortunately, I continued. 'She's so young!'"

Carlisle stopped. After a moment, Edward grew impatient. "And?" he asked.

"You don't want to know the unspeakable things that happened in there."

Edward raised both eyebrows.

"I'm kidding, mad doggy dog," he said, laughing lightly. "She just--"

"Wait, what?" he asked. "'Mad doggy dog'?"

Carlisle's smile vanished. "Isn't that what you young people say these days?"

"Um, maybe Alice would know," Edward said sarcastically. "She was the one in the insane asylum."

"Anyway," Carlisle said, "She, as you might say, 'bitched me out'. She completely verbally slapped me, thrashed me to the best of her ability, but I was young then, and stronger than her, so she didn't get far. But Aro, in respect for her, allowed her to outlaw me for several weeks before finally forgiving me."

It seemed he was done. But Edward was confused. "Why?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Carlisle asked, almost astounded.

"No."

"She's 3000 years old," he said. "Do you know how long that is? She's soooo old. And she's wise, and as mature as any adult, if she has to be. But, she chooses to be childlike. One, because that's how her personality is, and two, because she was turned at a childlike age and is permanently acting that way. Anyway, the point is, she hates when people say she's young, and look down on her. She's much older than that, obviously. She absolutely, positively _despises _it."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Well, I'll just have to make sure I emphasize it, then," he chuckled fiercely.

"No!" Carlisle said urgently. "Please, Edward, you're better than this. And the house is expensive, we could buy a new one, but I'd rather not because it's nice, and I don't want to see it in small, little peices. How could you dislike her so for the measly reason of her clouding your abilities? Jasper and Alice are getting along; why can't you?"

Edward was about to explain when Carlisle's thoughts became visible, for a moment. _Oh, he's afraid the family is in danger. _It didn't have anything to do with Xan especially, so it was visible. A moment later, the thoughts disappeared.

Edward stood. "I'm going home. It won't be sunny tomorrow, so I must finish my work." As he turned to go, he asked, a bit guiltily, "Is she a virgin?"

"How would I know? I doubt it. I'm sure she's hit puberty."

"But she's thirteen."

"She's 3000," he reminded. "And they used to have forty-year-olds marry fifteen-year-olds. But I guess, these days, she's pretty much unable to do anything of the sort."

"I feel so bad," Edward said sarcastically, before taking off.

Carlisle turned back to his work, but was soon unable to finish. He banged his head on the table gently.

"Why did he have to put that thought into my head?" Carlisle said disgustedly. "Now I can't get it out!"


	7. WTF, man!

There came a day, q little over a week after Xan's arrival, when four of Carlisle's young ones returned instead of five. Xan had started to feel as if she were a part of the family now, so the loss of Edward was a tad of a blow to her, even though he'd despised her for reasons she'd been unable to fathom.

So, if it was a blow to her, imagine the devastation of the others.

"Stupid human," Alice cursed.

"WTF, man," Emmett muttered.

"He seemed quite distressed, as well," Jasper added.

"Humans are so dumb," Rosalie added, which wasn't really a blow to the specific human as it was to all of them.

Xan could only tilt her head confusedly to the side and let a blob of drool escape the corner of her mouth. This signaled that she was critically perplexed.

She listened to Alice's explanation beside Carlisle once the whole family was recruited.

Alice had deciphered from her view of Edward's future that the human--Isabella Swan--had an unreadable mind. That, combined with the already present irritation from Xan's presence and the masking of thoughts built an unstable mountain of frustration in Edward, which caused his running away--though her incredibly intoxicating scent definitely had played a part.

"So she's like me?" Xan asked excitedly, grinning wildly.

"That's nothing to be happy about!" Alice snapped.

"As far as we know," Jasper said. "We don't know if our abilities will work on her, either."

"So Edward's going up to Tanya's," Carlisle surmised.

"Oh, that's the other coven like you, right?" Xan piped up.

"Yes," Carlisle answered. "He'll probably stay there until he can gain ahold of himself once more."

Esme shuddered in a suppressed sob. Xan could guess that she'd have started to cry had she been able to do so in her current vampiric state.

"How dreary," Alice sighed, slumping back into her chair. Jasper slung an arm around her and sighed as well.

"Well, we'll have to await his return, then," Carlisle concluded. He stood, rubbing his temples. "Until then, let's keep an eye on this Isabella, shall we?"

"'Bella,'" Rosalie mocked. "'Call me Bella.'"

Emmett chuckled and punched Rosalie's arm playfully.

"Xan?" Carlisle asked. She nodded. "How are you doing? Your thirst?"

"My thirst is fine," Xan answered. "I haven't been around any humans, so I can't exactly test it."

"Really?" Jasper gasped, leaning forward, interested. "You haven't drunk for four days, and you aren't thirsty?"

"No," Xan said. "Well, a bit, I guess. But I can suppress it, of course. Can't you?" she sighed. "I haven't been able to find out yet, but it seems I'm extra resilient when it comes to human blood. I don't understand it."

Carlisle smiled. "Then let's test it."

Jasper squeaked. "But she just got here!" he objected. "We can't be sure she'll be able to control herself!"

"_I_ can trust her," Carlisle said.

"But--"

"But nothing."

"Edward would have a fit if he wasn't here when the time came."

"He'll never know until he returns."

"I don't know."

"Then we'll take her to Bingo."

"Bingo?" said Xan.

"Bingo."


	8. Bingo

"What's Bingo? What's Bingo? What's Bingo, Bingo, Bingo? _Who's _Bingo? You know, when you continuously say Bingo, it starts to sound like a weird word. Bingo, Bingo, Bingo..."

Carlisle clenched the steering wheel tightly, trying to remember how to not break weak human things. Jasper clutched his knees, and Emmett banged his head against the wall of the car. Nothing helped.

"I didn't know anything or anyone could be so annoying," Jasper said, sitting beside Carlisle in the car.

"I've never been a violent man," Carlisle said tightly. "But then again, I've never been confronted with such a situation..."

"Tell me what Bingo is!" Xan practically screeched beside Emmett in the back seat.

"Alright!" Jasper shouted, finally fed up. "I'll tell you, but if you say Bingo one more time, I'll hurt you."

"I'm sure she's so scared," Emmett chuckled. "I mean, considering she's a vampire and all."

"I could hurt her," Jasper whined.

"Yeah, but she's been in the Volturi."

"We _do_ have a wide variety of torture methods," Xan agreed.

"Shut up!" Carlisle cried. "You may have had your torture methods, but I grew up in the Middle freaking Ages! I know torture!"

Xan giggled. "So did I, Car."

"Anyway," Jasper said through gritted teeth, "Basically, it's this place in town. It's what you might expect: a place to play Bingo."

"Bingo, Bingo, Bingo," Xan murmured.

"Yes, Bingo, Bingo, Bingo," Jasper said, for Carlisle's benefit.

"But it will be filled with old people," Xan complained. "They don't taste good at all."

"But that's just it," Jasper explained. "It's filled with blood, but it's not as appetizing as young blood. So you'll be attracted, but not so much."

"Wrinkly skin," Xan murmured.

"You know what I just realized," Emmett said suddenly. "If I was human, I'd be, like, sixty by now. I'd be old. Ew."

"Wow," Jasper said. "I always knew you were a block head, Emmett, but that just broke the record."

"You actually thought I was slightly smart?" Emmett choked. "I'm so touched."

Xan poked him. "_Now _you're touched."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "How juvenile." Then he giggled too and poked her back. "Got you last!"

She poked him. "Got _you _last!"

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke, poke, poke.

Stab.

"Owwww!"

"Got you last!"

"Carliiiiiiiiiiiisle! She hit me!"

"Did not!

"Did too!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Yes, sir..."

They arrived at the Bingo parlor just in time to see an elderly man started to dance about his victory of seven whole dollars.

"That woulda bought me a car in my day," he hollered to no one in particular.

"That woulda been ripped off me to give to the King and I'd be thrown in jail under false accusations, in my day," Xan said chipperly.

They got in and were given boards, and the game started to play once again.

Old people surrounded the quartet, but it didn't much matter to them.

Jasper and Emmett were able to shake their heads to rid them of the scent, and Carlisle didn't even blink, but Xan couldn't stop sucking it all in. Even seniors' scent was better than none. She started to inch backward in her seat, craning her head toward a white-haired woman who anyone would have sworn to be Cloris Leachman's way older sister.

"Stop it," Jasper whispered. "You've got to control yourself."

Hesitantly, Xan forced herself forward and stared at the numbers. But she couldn't read them, much less even see them. All she saw was dribbling blood, syringes, coffins, and ice cream covered in blood. Ice cream covered in blood!

And it didn't help that everyone was staring at them. Not only were they young-looking people in a very unpopular old people place, but they were white and cold, and yet red hot. Jasper was glad Edward wasn't there--those minds could be nothing but dirty, it seemed. He himself was having a hard time coping with the lust signal he was receiving from many of them.

Xan didn't notice. She kept stealing glances at the fattest ones, or the less wrinkly ones.

Emmett saved the day. "BINGO!" he shouted, straight into Xan's ear. She couldn't help but jump, almost to the ceiling. Her head cleared, and she bowed her head in guilt.

"Wh-hat...?" said the elderly man picking the balls from the rotating thing, lifting his head shakily. He seemed to have cheated death many times--he seemed good at cheating, seeing how he kept changing boards with the winning people toward the front.

"Oh, never mind," Emmett said, waving.

"Thanks, man, I owe you," Xan said quietly.

"Tell me I won the poke fight."

"I don't owe you that much."

"Carliiiiiisle!"

"Shut up."

Jasper stared at Xan angrily. He was seeing how well she was taking this, even if she had to be reminded. He hated being the weakest link of the group. He was just so fed up.

After the first game, they got up and left. They had acheived their mission, Xan was used to scent a little bit and they didn't feel much like spending another second with those peircing, lust-filled elderly eyes.

On the drive home, Carlisle congratulated Xan. "Not many are able to sit that still when filled with the intoxicating aroma of seventy-year-old rotten meat."

"Filled with burning lust," Jasper said sulkily.

"Oh, it was nothing," Xan said, grinning.

"It was all thanks to me," Emmett said, poking Xan.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

"Ow," Jasper cried, rubbing the back of his head. "The hell was that for!"

"Got you last!" cried Xan.

"Oh, no, thank you," Jasper said angrily. "I'm not playing such a childish game!"

"He knows he can't win," Emmett mocked.

"I can't blame him. He's such a sissy."

Carlisle blared the radio as his children ripped each other apart. He nodded his head to the music as Jasper was practically rammed out of the car by Emmett.

Then he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What?" They all asked in unison, stopping their ceaseless attacks.

"This song," he giggled.

"What?"

"It's called, 'Seventeen Forever' by Metro Station!"


	9. I'm AMAZING

Edward's return was abrupt, and no one would talk about it. He just returned and no one brought up the subject, especially since Esme was so emotional about it.

What they _did _talk about what this annoying Bella person. It irritated Xan because she didn't have the slightest idea about her, except that she had similar abilities, though she was human.

But no one would bother to tell her about Bella, because Edward would have none of it. Nothing concerning him would be told to her.

Finally, she snapped.

"Carlisle!" she cried, when the kids were at school, he was studying and Esme was reading a book called _Unobtainable Love and Psychological Damage--Related?_

"What?" he asked, looking up from his book on Italy's intricate underground passageways and how many in the past foolishly believed imaginary creatures like ravenous vampires roamed them.

"I don't know anything about Bella and no one will tell me!"

"I know," he said, sighing. "But I can't do much about it. It's Edward's doing. Ask him."

"But he won't talk to me!" she argued.

He sighed. "Fine, I'll get Alice to tell you whatever she knows."

"No!" she exclaimed. "That's not enough."

He blinked. "Then...er...what do you want, then?"

"I want to meet her."

"We don't exactly have a personal relationship going with her, you know. More like Edward occasionally stealing a glance at her then turning away swiftly so he wouldn't have to take in her intoxicating scent."

"No! I didn't mean that! I want to go to school!"

"I could drive you, but I would have a hard time thinking up an excuse..."

"No! No! Like, attend?"

He pursed his lips and fell back into his chair. "Hmm," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you're thirteen, so you'd have to go to Middle School."

"Middle School?"

"There are three chunks of schools in this country, Xan. In most schools, 5-10 year-olds go to Elementary, 11-13 or 14 year-olds go to Middle School, and 14-18 year-olds go to High School. So, you'd be in a different school. Though Forks is small, its Middle School is _not _near its High School."

She had the look of infinite boredom on her face. "So I skipped."

"Huh?"

"Make some papers saying that I'm amazing, which I am, only it will be officially documented. That way, I can go to the high school. I have to knowledge for it, for sure."

"Really?" Carlisle said, chuckling.

"What? You think I can't do it?"

"Er, no, but...you don't exactly have the highest knowledge of all things, no."

"Ask me! Anything!"

"How many electrons in a sulfur atom?"

She opened her mouth, grappled inside her mind for a moment, then prompty sighed. "Ok, I don't know. But do _you _know Shakespeare's original title for 'Romeo and Juliet'?"

His brows furrowed as he thought. "Ah, no. What?"

"'Dad Said You Can't Date Him But You Did it Anyway and Now He Died for You.'"

"Hmm. Tasteful."

"I agree."

"So, I'll ask Jasper to ask Jenks for some papers."

"Jenks?"

"Associate of ours."

"KK, dude. OMG, I'll go tell my BFF Emmi so we can txt during class."

Carlisle furrowed his brow deep. "Huh?"

"KK. TTYL, biffle. L8R, G8R. G2G. BTW, Ed's a nerd. IDK Y, I just think so."

She skipped out of the room, leaving Carlisle infinitely confused. He chuckled. "LOL, She's so not 1337 like me!"

--

_LOL LOL LOL LOL. Woo, sorry. I made Carlisle funny! Hoped you like the chapter._

_Translations? As if they're needed. Her: KK = Ok. OMG = Oh my God. BFF = Best friend forever. (Emmi was Emmett, by the way.) TTYL = Talk to you later. Biffle = best friend. L8R, G8r = Later, gator. G2G = Got to go. BTW = By the way. IDK = I don't know. Y = why. LOL = Laugh out loud. 1337 = Leet, as in "elite". Carlisle's so 1337, yo._


	10. Alexander the Great? PFFT

_OMGOMGOMGOMG. It's the tenth chapter. It's going by so fast! I wonder how long this will be? I'll probably just continue it to the end of the first Twilight book. Maybe I'll make a sequel, if it's fun. Yayz!_

--

"I gotz my folderz!" cried Xan, happily chirping to herself. "And me binderz, and ze backpack and lunch...and...and...things! Oh, wait, I'm a vampire...dammit...I used to love bologna..."

It was Wednesday, a week since her announcement to Carlisle about switching to go to school, and yesterday a very shaky J. Jenks had handed over the papers for her entrance to school.

Xan was especially excited for the Girls' Choice Dance.

Edward watched in the hallway, horrified at the prospect of her attending the same school as he, in many of his classes. Being near _her. _Lovely. Now all the people at school would have clouded thoughts for however long it took until the shock went away from her arrival, which is always a long time.

"You remember your story?" Emmett asked, slipping into the room after eyeing Edward critically.

"Yup," she giggled. "Lived in Iowa with my great-uncle Isaac until he unexpectedly died of heart attack, so I came to live with the great doctor Mr. Cullen because he adopted me." she shook her head. "It's so generic."

"Name your uncle Slagathor, from _Scrubs_."

"Slagathor? Uh, no thanks." Then a thoughtful look came into her eyes. "How about I just name him my real great-uncle's name?"

"What's that?"

"Godard."

Edward did a double take. "That's stupid," he muttered.

Of course, she heard him, being a vampire, and turned toward him with a smug look. "And Edward isn't, Eddie?"

He growled, looking like a true wild animal. "Stay away from her," he snarled, and was down the stairs in a flash.

"I'll invite her to go on a walk in the woods with me!" she cried out, hoping to get a rise from him. "Only the trees will hear her screams!"

The sound of fingernails screeching across a tabletop was clearly audible where Xan stood.

"Don't bug him, Xan," Emmett almost pleaded. "He's at the end of his rope, I'm sure. Please, leave him alone."

"OK, but just for you, Emmi."

"But of course," he laughed, as Rosalie arrived.

"Come on, idiot, time for school," she said, mostly to Emmett.

"Awww," Emmett sarcastically groaned, leaving the room to find the remnants of his backpack which had been torn apart when Jasper angrily lost a bet.

Xan left her room and trotted down the stairs, eager to start her learning experience and be taught about people she had already met by people she barely knew.

She especially couldn't wait to hear them say that the great ancient city Alexandria was named after Alexander the Great. Guess again, biatches.

"Into the car of doom!" Emmett growled, leaping into the car along with his siblings, and, with Edward gripping the wheel violently, sped off to school.

Carlisle sat in his office, rubbing his temples. Esme entered quietly and sat on a chair near him.

"Are you OK, honey?" she asked quietly.

"Not really," he answered.

"Why not? I'm sure Xan can control her thirst senses well enough."

"No, no, uh..." he paused and let out a breath. "I forgot to tell Edward something. Important."

"What?"

"She's kind of under the impression that they will all accept her," he choked out.

"And they're good kids, the citizens of Forks," Esme assured.

"Yes, but...there's got to be some...er...bad kids...who will...mention her age..."

"So? Xan can handle them."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

--

_DUN DUN DUN!!! It's a prelude to something TERRIBLE to come. _

_LOL, Slagathor. Good show, __Scrubs._

_Oh, right! Lolz, I remember, I wrote, in the beginning, that she bagged her lunch and was bringing it to school, but when I reread it to check for errors and all that, I remembered vampires don't eat. Whoops, silly me._


	11. The Biggest Mistake

Xan definitely attracted stares. This wasn't an uncommon thing to her, or to any new student at Forks High.

In her vampiric life, not many vampires--except the old, who had seen the great massacre of vampire children--had seen a young-looking vampire.

In her new human life, not only was she a new student but also a young one. The air around her held that of knowledge. Even if there hadn't been one, which there was, because of Xan's old age, there would have seemed to be one because she was so young and yet so far in her schooling.

She was in the senior classes. She had refused anything lower because even the senior class, she thought, would be low. Edward was sour towards her demeanor but said nothing.

"So, where is she?" she asked at lunch, having sat through the most boring lessons in her life. Apparently, people thought the revolution was started by _humans _more so than vampires. Why do you think the taxes were so high? Vampires kept stealing all the money from the boats!

"Over there," pointed Alice, to a young brown-haired girl. Ordinary, nothing special.

Xan watched her get up to get something from the lunch line only to embarrass herself by falling flat on her face.

"Wow, how anticlimactic," Xan sighed. "I'd expected a body-builder, or a manga lover, or at least a geek. She's so ordinary!"

Edward's fists clenched. "Will you not talk so loud?" he hissed.

Xan frowned. "I thought I _was_ being low. Besides, who cares what I say?"

"Everyone looking at you," Jasper murmured. "Which translates to everybody." Then he promptly shut his trap as to stop his breathing.

Xan looked around to see what he was talking about. This turned out to be a giant mistake on her part. She hadn't had a drink for about half a week, and with so many open necks...she'd been able to consciously block out the scents but suddenly her guard was down, and her predator senses up.

She swallowed hard, but this only turned out to strengthen the lust in her throat. She clenched her fists and closed her mouth fully, but it did little to help. She stopped her breathing, but nothing worked.

"Go outside," Emmett suggested. "Fresh air."

Xan nodded, and as fast she could, without seeming other-worldly, raced through the cafeteria, past all the stares and blood-reeking creatures and to the back door of it. She pushed it open and shut it quickly, not caring what they thought.

She took a deep breath, thinking that the outside air would be fresh.

It wasn't.

She coughed, looking over to see two delinquent kids, smoking what seemed to be expensive cigarettes. It nearly masked their strong scent.

But not quite. It wasn't raining, for once, and the wind was blowing their scent her way.

It seemed forever since she'd had a good drink. Like an addict, she remembered the good hits and longed for them once again. Once more couldn't hurt, right?

"Hey," she said in her most appealing voice, but not a sexy one. She knew well by now that no one wanted to be anything but friends with a thirteen-year-old.

"Hi," said the kids, frowning at her. They looked about sophomore-age, ones that did not rank high on their class list.

"I'm new here," Xan said childishly. "And I wanted to see the woods during lunch, because I'm not really that hungry."_ Just insane with thirst_. "Could you show me?"

They snorted and chuckled. "Why the Hell should we do that, genius?"

"I'll do your homework for a week, if you like."

They liked this. With a smile, as if they were the ones fooling her instead of the other way around, paraded her away from the school and to the edge of the foggy woods.

Uninterested, Xan smiled to the boys. All thoughts of Carlisle, Esme, the Cullens and especially Edward were far from her mind. All that mattered was this kill, this kill that would save her from her unwavering thirst.

This didn't mean she didn't care for Carlisle. No, she cared a lot, and if she had been in her right mind, she wouldn't ever think of doing this. But she was new to this life and couldn't help it. So she decided to make, probably, the biggest mistake of her vampiric life, which could potentially cost her her friendship with Carlisle.

She wasn't in the mood for a game, as she had so often in the past with her victims. It had been too long since her last meal and she just wanted to get her fix _now._

Without warning, there was a loud cracking sound as the two boys fell, cigarettes falling from their lifeless hands, necks jutting at unnatural angles.

The cigarettes would lessen the taste, Xan knew. But anything was better than nothing, now.

She drank.

--

_Oh, no! Xan, why?!?!?_


	12. You're Gone! We're Done With You!

_Yo, yo, yo! Listen up! I made a second Twilight story! Which is kinda big news because I usually only do Naruto stuff. (It's a manga/show) Anyway, it's about a wolf from Taha-Uta's time, come to help the new pack against the Cullens and Volturi and stuff! It's called __**Kachina the Spirit Dancer**__. _Check it out, my peoples!

--

"How could you?"

"Do you know how much this could cost us?"

"Haven't you learned to control yourself yet?"

"Shameful!"

"I'm loathe to spend a mere minute in the same room as you!"

Each shot sent a pang of regret through Xan so fierce she felt as if she would be burned alive. And she surely would have, had Edward been allowed to enter. He was currently being held back by Emmett several hundred yards from the house. If he was't...

Rosalie, Jasper and Alice were beyond enraged. Esme was as emotional as ever.

But worst was Carlisle.

Carlisle, her friend for centuries, since before he was a vampire, who she knew inside and out, who knew her, almost, inside and out--said nothing. He was just silent, sitting across the table, staring, seemingly, blankly. But Xan could see it--mistrust. Like he'd been a fool for letting her stay here. For misjudging her, thinking she could handle herself. Regret that he hadn't listened to Edward.

It was as if he was thinking he'd been tricked this entire time, like he'd been fooled by her into thinking he understood her.

All she wanted to do was assure him. She had lost control, but it would never happen again. She would show Edward, and the world. She could do her best. They could leave this all behind them!

But she didn't get the chance because no one would shut up.

"We're done for!"

"Damn it!"

"How the hell did this happen?!"

Faraway screech from Edward.

"Everyone, settle down," said Carlisle, finally speaking. It shocked them, his voice, for it was low. Not only that, it seemed predatory, angry. This was unusual for the nonviolent Carlisle.

Everyone sat around the table, saying nothing. Xan was staring at the floor, eyes stinging. She hated that she couldn't cry. Vampires should have that ability. She would be able to express her sorrow and regret better. How could she communicate her intense feelings to Carlisle if he couldn't see her cry?

"I'm sorry," she managed to spit it. She was disgusted at how shallow it sounded. "I know it doesn't mean much, after all that happened. But I promise I'll do better! I won't do it again!"

A screech of disagreement echoed in the forest surrounding them.

"We can't trust _your _word," Jasper spat. Carlisle flinched, as if he was conflicted. Xan couldn't blame him. He was her friend, but this was his family. Which could he choose?

"And it's not just that," Rosalie hissed. "The damage is already done."

"Huh?" Xan asked, eyebrows furrowing. "I feel sorry for the kids, yeah, but what other damage?"

"You're 3000 years old!" cried Jasper. "Haven't you thought of it yet?"

"My memory is bad," she joked, and instantly regretted it. This was not the time to be funny.

"You left the cafeteria," Alice growled, "and the two kids outside died moments afterword. You think no one will put two and two together? Especially with that big show you made, leaving!"

"I'm just a kid," Xan reasoned. "Surely, they wouldn't think I did it!"

"You're the only suspect they could have," Esme explained.

"How could I have the strength the break their necks?" Xan provided. "How could I have made the bite marks? What motive could I have?"

"They'll find a way to prove you did it!" shouted Rosalie.

"I can charm my way out," Xan pleaded. "I bet I could. I'm a charming kid, really. Cute, of course, being a vampire and all."

"Ok," said Alice menacingly, quietly, "if we get out of this alright, and manage to stay here, unconvicted, then what? What will you do?"

"Er...I was hoping...second chance?" Xan suggested.

Jasper chuckled disgustedly. "Yeah, right. It would happen again, no doubt. We made a mistake. You're out."

"We're done with you!" Alice agreed.

"You're gone," Rosalie surmised.

They turned to Esme and Carlisle. "Well?"

A cry from the forest voiced Edward's agreement, and Emmett's, "Whatever Rosalie wants!" finished the duo's votes.

"Whatever's best for the family," Esme decided.

Carlisle rubbed his temples, mumbling to himself. He clenched his teeth, eyes squeezed shut.

Xan started to tremble. What had she done to poor Carlisle? Her best friend in the world, currently, was debating whether to throw her out because of the most idiotic mistake of her life...er...existence.

Xan shakily swallowed and choked out, "Whatever you say, Car, I'll still respect you and your decision. Whatever you do to me, I'll always be your friend and comrade, if you want me to be. No matter what you decide. So, go for it."

Carlisle looked up, let out an intense sigh, and said...

--

_Oh! I decided to be cruel! I'm gonna make you wait! Muahahahaha!_


	13. I'll Break Every Bone in your Body!

"I don't know!" Carlisle practically wailed, banging his head uselessly on the table. "I don't know!"

"She's a threat to us!" Jasper hissed.

Edward's echoing roar agreed.

Carlisle sighed and cleared his throat. "I don't know," he repeated. "She's my friend."

"We're your family!" Alice reminded.

"I know," he muttered. "I know."

Xan didn't know what to do. If she said anything, people would take it wrong. _I'll get better, _if she said that, no one would believe her. _I'll never do it again, _no one would believe her. _Carlisle, you're my best friend, _she'd sound like a bitch, making Carlisle even more conflicted.

So she remained silent, staring at the floor.

"Ok," he said. "Here's the plan. We'll try _one more time. _That's it. Xan will feed _everyday _nearby, and there will be at least one person by her side all day, reminding her of our way of life, of everything." he glared at Xan then, and Xan caught the stare. Her soul seemed like it was ripping apart.

"You started this mess," he said. "You have to clean it up. If you don't, I'll _never _forgive you."

"She sleeps outside!" Rosalie thundered. "Emmett!"

Emmett was there in a flash, by her side, leading her away and up the stairs. This was probably because she was going to have a fit of rage and didn't want anyone to see--though they would definitely hear.

This meant Edward was back.

Everybody left, including Carlisle. Xan felt like she was on fire, and clutching her silent heart. In all her years, it had never hurt once. But now it did. It was not a physical pain, more of an emotional one; and therefore it could surface along with other human emotions. She felt like sobbing and crying, but it wouldn't come.

Some of the vampires left for rides in their sport cars. Xan didn't blame them. Carlisle went to work and Esme shopping. Xan realized that they knew that Edward would no doubt be the one baby-sitting her.

Edward entered the dining room, more civilized than Xan would have thought possible for him at the moment. He sat at the opposite side of the table, where Carlisle had sat. He drummed his fingers on the table, not looking at Xan.

She waited for the thunderstorm. No, the earthquake. The hurricane, the tornado, the tsunami. The...global warming?

"You," he muttered, low and threatening. Xan looked up, knowing that if she didn't she would hate herself. She needed to face his wrath head-on. "You _bitch_."

She deserved this.

"You..." his teeth clenched, and he gripped the table so hard chunks came off in his hands. He swallowed.

"I was starting to trust you," he said quietly. Xan was quite shocked by this.

"Just a little," he went on. "I thought maybe you _could _handle yourself; that Carlisle was right.

"But I was wrong. _Dead _wrong."

He stared out the window, laughing hysterically. "If only I'd known your thoughts," he muttered. "If only I had been able to..."

He stood up, seeming completely and utterly enraged. "And now Carlisle's letting you _stay_?" He shouted. "And risk another death? Well now, honey, not me. You're not going out of my _sight_. Every moment you spend here, in Forks, will be with _me. _I'll have Carlisle arrange the classes. I don't care if it blocks all those thoughts. I don't care if the humans think it's suspicious, or anything. And if you don't? _I'll break every bone in your body. _And that's not a bluff. Understood?"

Xan nodded, swallowing. He'd trusted her? Even a little? She hated herself all the more. She bit her lip, knowing it would never bleed.

Edward stood and started to leave. Xan didn't move.

"Come," he hissed, beckoning to her. "I wasn't joking."

She went.

--

_Gasp! Angry Edward. Wow, I feel kinda bad for Xan. Though, not completely. She __**did **__kill those poor kids. I'm sure some of you Edward lovers are all, like, "He's so badass!" But not me. I don't like Edward much. _

_I love Jasper. He's ballin'. LOL, dog. _

_Anyway..._

_Jacob's cool too. But Jasper's cooler._


	14. Untitled

_Haha! I'm sorry! In the last chapter I made Rosalie cry, "She sleeps outside!" But she doesn't sleep! Oops. Sorry. Forgot._

--

Word got around quickly. It was to be expected, since they _were _in Forks, which had to be the smallest town Xan had ever stayed in in all her years.

This did not help her situation.

She was already feeling like...well...shit. And it didn't help to have to stay by Edward's side, who never missed a chance to continually shoot insults at her that she knew she deserved. Now, on top of that, she had all the students at Forks High looking at her with either disgust or suspicion. Teachers never called on her, though she always raised her hand. People openly stared. Some made comments about her when they thought she wasn't looking. And she was a vampire, so she heard them anyway, even if her back was turned.

She was no longer herself.

She wouldn't let herself become thirsty. She fed a lot off local animals, and she was abnormally accustomed to the smells, so she was able to keep herself away. Whenever she felt she was becoming too thirsty, she would start up a poke fight with Emmett, who half-heartedly joined in, though Rosalie was very averse to his participation.

She was becoming more and more isolated.

None of the Cullens would talk to her. Only amongst themselves. Carlisle would sometimes teach something to her to make it easier on her, but nothing more. Edward was the only one who would take her hunting, and he assured her he'd be there all day if it meant keeping track of her.

He kept his word. He was always by her, no matter what.

For weeks, he'd been eyeing the Bella girl. All the time. Xan noticed this a lot because she had been transferred to all of his classes.

Xan felt bad. She felt she was the one keeping him away from her, though they were supposed stay away anyway.

"Edward," she murmured at lunch, causing everyone to swivel around and stare at her, since she never talked, "If you want to talk to Bella, please do. Don't let me stop you."

"What? And leave you here, unoccupied?" Edward growled. "No way."

"I have everyone else," Xan said, nodding at the rest of the Cullens. "They'll take care of me. Er, watch me, anyway. Go, if you want."

"Edward, we talked about this," Jasper reminded. "You can't be with her. In any way."

Edward ignored him, nodding at Xan disdainfully. He got up, crossed the cafetorium and went up to Bella.

Xan stared down at the table. Everyone stared at her. She knew they probably thought her suggestion was meant to hurt Edward, but it really wasn't. She just felt bad.

The stares continued as people gossiped about her. She hadn't been convicted of anything yet, but the police--all three of them, in fact--were keeping an eye on her. And there had been some sort of uproar in the La Push community she had heard mention of. Some treaty had been broken and Carlisle was having a hard time mending it. She wasn't told much of anything about it.

They all watched Edward. He was talking casually across the empty table to Bella.

Alice sighed angrily. "Why did you do that, Xan?" she snarled, low so no one would hear. "Do you _realize _how dangerous it is for them to be _near _each other?"

Xan bit back her response: "Of _course _I know. I'm 3000 years old. How could I _not _know?" Instead, she murmured shyly, "I...I thought it would be good for him."

"Good for him?" Rosalie scoffed. "Please."

Xan bowed her head. Once again, she felt like crying. This was a common thing for her now. No one liked her. No one would talk to her. Not even Emmett, who talked to _everyone. _She clenched the table with her hands, but not strong enough to break it.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Yeah, that really means a lot, coming from you," Jasper muttered.

Someone's phone rang. It was Alice's. Hastily, she picked it up. "What?" she spat into it. "Oh," she said, listening intently.

They could hear the conversation.

_"Alice, get everyone and come over quickly. Cut school, I don't care."_

"What's up? Why didn't I see anything about this?"

_"It's the Quileutes. They're here, now. I need you to get everyone and come over. Xan has some explaining to do to them."_

The phone line cut.

Everyone, wordlessly, rose and headed for the back door. Alice waved at Edward to follow, and he confusedly did, leaving behind a perplexed Bella.

Outside, Jasper mentally explained to Edward the situation.

"It's all _your _fault," Rosalie spat acidly. Xan bowed her head, unable to say anything contradictory.

The drive to the house was deafeningly silent. No one spoke, or breathed. Literally.

At the house, they saw only one car. They could smell the stench of two human men inside their home. Billy Black and Harry Clearwater.

As casually as possible, they all left the car and entered the home. They went immediately into the living room, where Carlisle was standing opposite the two sitting Quileutes.

They didn't seem happy in the least. They wore masks of pure fury.

"We know it was you," Billy cried, pointing at Xan. "Charlie told me all about it!"

Xan did not need to be told what they meant, but she didn't know who this Charlie was. "Who?" she asked quietly.

"Bella's father, Chief Swan," Carlisle provided.

"Ah. Well, that's not ironic." She had planned it to be a funny little comment, but no one even reacted. Her heart sunk into her gut.

"Ok..." she didn't know what to say. Should she admit to her crime? Or deny it?

"We were looking for a way to repay you," Carlisle said peacefully. "To mend the broken contract."

"Children have _died_, and you're wondering how you can repay _us_?" Harry cried. "Shame!"

Xan wished she could just disappear. She was getting Carlisle in trouble, something she had never, in all her existence, wanted to happen.

"It was my fault," she said strongly. "I'll do whatever I can to heal any damage my behavior has done for you."

Billy snorted. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Alexandrine Ockley," she said respectfully, curtseying. "Of Old France. I am new to Dr. Cullen's way of life, and have messed up immensely. Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

"Leave," Harry growled.

"Come again?" Xan asked, horrified.

"Leave this place!" Billy cried, banging his fists against the arms of his wheelchair. "Go, and never return, leech!"

Xan was speechless. She turned to Carlisle in terror, waiting for him to refuse. To say that that wasn't possible, that she would get better. All the things she meant to say but couldn't currently make herself voice.

But he was nodding. "Yes," he said. "That seems fair." He seemed relieved...like...

Like they had made a decision he hadn't had the guts to make.

Xan bowed her head, feeling like she would be choking soon.

"Finally," Rosalie smiled. "She'll be out of our hair."

"I can live in peace!" Edward rejoiced.

As the children started to almost dance in their joy, Xan climbed the stairs laborously. It felt as if the world were falling down, and all its fragmented peices were landing on her shoulders, weighing her down. She stumbled more than once, gathering up her things from Edward's room. She didn't have much.

By the time she had her things packed, the Quileutes had left. She still didn't fully understand the contract or why it was so important that it was mended. But she _did _know that it meant more to Carlisle than she did.

She knew that this would solve their problems that she had caused. The police would be after her, not them. They would, probably soon, be cleared of suspicion. Their treaty was mended. And all it cost them was the lost of a burden.

Her.

She was at the door, thinking no one would say good-bye, when Esme was suddenly beside her.

She looked as if she was unsure of what to do or say. Finally, she said, "This has been a bad time, for all of us. I hope that things get better for you."

Xan didn't react her words. She just stood still as Esme hugged her and hurriedly left to join her family in the living room. Xan just didn't know how to take it. It seemed as if what Esme had said was just a formality, and that she didn't mean it.

Never had Xan felt so alone.

Without a mode of transportation, she wandered through the forest, not having a place to go. She eventually realized her things were useless and she dropped them somewhere in the endless forest, knowing she'd never care where they ended up. She made sure, though, to stay away from places with the Quileute scent. She didn't want any more trouble to come to Carlisle.

It invariably started to rain. She stood, in the middle of a muddy, grassy field, staring into the cloudy gray sky. To Xan, the place was the ugliest she'd ever been.

She opened her mouth and let the heavy drops fill her mouth. She swallowed them, wondering why this source of drink couldn't be her permanent one, and not the vile blood she was forced to long for.

Then, to her surprise, she tasted something other than the tasteless drops.

Salt.

She collapsed onto the ground, soaked and trembling, crying for all she was worth.


	15. Wanting to Die

_Writer! I had a review I wanted to reply to that didn't have a reply URL thingy. He/she reviewed the first chapter, though, so I don't know when he/she'll get this, if he/she even continues to read my series. Other readers who might be reading this, sorry that I had to do this, but I just couldn't bring myself to ignore the review._

_TennisObsessed?_

_You are a veeeeery...well...angry person. Hateful person. I'm just stating it, I'm not saying it in a mean way, I sorta like it, actually. A refreshing look on the Twilight series, because a lot of people blindly love all of it._

_Interesting idea. I'm already very into this series I created, though, so I doubt I'd be able to put any part of your idea into it...and I like Jake, really. Sorry, but I don't think I can do it._

_Sorry to all the others reading this! _

_Now, to our heroine! And no, I don't mean the drug!_

_--_

Xan hadn't a clue what to do. All she wanted was sleep. Lying in the mud, long after the rainshower had ended, she wished for it with all her might. No, she wasn't tired, that wasn't something that could happen to a vampire--though her crying made her wonder if certain vampire things could be bent.

She wanted sleep because she really, really didn't want to think right now. She wanted a sweet escape. Sleep.

Drugs, an outlet for humans, did not affect her. Nor did alcohol or nicotine. (She'd tried a cigarette once, while she was a vampire. It was the most painful thing for her lungs that she'd felt since becoming a vampire.)

She felt dead inside. And no, it wasn't because she was a vampire. Her heart was so silent. In the past, it hadn't felt that way. She had been happy, and because of that it seemed alive, in a way. But not now.

She sat up, not caring that she was caked in mud. She had no desire to return to the Volturi. Centuries of guard duty? She didn't look forward to that at all. But where else did she have to go?

She had other friends, but she didn't feel like visiting them. She didn't feel like seeing anyone. Maybe she could return home? No, it was too sunny there, even at this time of year.

The sun became visible through the banks of horrible clouds. It would have been a beautiful sight to the average citizen of Forks. A faint hope of a day without rain might have come to mind.

Xan only felt sorrow.

Stupid werewolves. They had caused all this. If they weren't so uppity...no. She couldn't blame them. It wasn't their fault that they hated her. She was a vampire, and it _was _her fault, everything that happened.

She sighed. Did _no _one want her?

She wondered if she would soon die. She had no doubt that her time would be up eventually, and hopefully soon.

Maybe Aro and the rest were too thick-headed to realize it, but they were slowly growing old. Just as an adult slowly weakens and grows unhealthy and old, so does a vampire. Just far more gradually. Their babyhood would start as a newborn, and last a year. Slowly, slowly, their strength will fade, their eyes will cloud over and their skin translucent. Eventually, they would weaken to the point of loss of life.

She had no proof of this, but Xan hoped with all she had that this was so.

Night came. Xan couldn't believe how fast these things happened. She supposed that in her old age everything seemed fast, for she had patience.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling cry rang through the silent forest, peircing the air with an intensity that even made Xan jump out of her skin.

She was up in a flash, flitting toward the area the sound had erupted from.

She hid behind a tree, hiding herself with such skill that even a fellow vampire wouldn't be able to realize her presence.

Which was good, because that was what they were.

Three young vampires, two males and a red-headed female, stood over a fallen lumberjack, who apparently had stayed out a bit too late gathering firewood. The smell of him was overpowering, but Xan would not allow herself to be tempted.

"I feel so bad," said the woman sarcastically. "James, you were too violent."

"I know," the man named James chuckled. "But you liked it too, his squealing, didn't you, Victoria?"

The female shuffled her feet.

"I didn't," said the third.

"You never do, Laurent."

Xan watched without interest. Some vampires, new to the area. What did she care?

But she knew, deep down, she couldn't ignore this. They were killing on Carlisle's turf. No doubt those idiot Quileutes will blame him for this. And then he would be in trouble with them _again_.

Unless Xan could stop them, and redeem herself.

No, she told herself. I'm doing this for the good of the common people. The less humans killed, the better.

She shook her head. Who was she kidding? Carlisle was all that mattered.

Like a foolish child, she began to imagine it. Scaring them off, Edward bowing at her feet, saying, "I never knew! I'm sorry!" And Carlisle welcoming her back with open arms. Suddenly, she didn't want to die. She wanted this dream to happen first.

She sighed. "I'm such a sucker for happy endings," she whispered quietly to herself, far enough away so the vampires couldn't hear. "I just hope it _does _end that way."


	16. Sorry

Carlisle walked through the woods, wordlessly surveying the trees and their beauty. It was so silent, a pin could have dropped and a human could have heard it. Except for the birds, of course. With their endless, happy chattering...

Carlisle couldn't help but be unsure of himself. Had it been right to just let Alexandrine go? She had been a close friend of his for a long while. Had it been right of him to even let her stay with his family, though Edward had strongly disagreed from the start?

Whatever the case, all trouble had been cleared and peace would return. He was sure of it.

"Car?" came a voice. "Carlisle!"

He should have suspected this. In his aimless travels, of course he would stumble upon Xan. Or maybe she had sought him out?

"Xan," he said, in such a monotone that it took Xan by surprise. She ran up to him, but less quickly than before.

"Carlisle," she whispered, looking behind her. "There's...I meant to deal with it on my own, but...I suppose you should know."

"Hmm?" Carlisle hummed, continuing to walk forward.

Xan felt a pang of pain riddle her through. Was he really so unfazed by her leaving?

She took a moment to reconsider her options. Had Carlisle ever cared? She bit her lip, hating that Carlisle continued to stroll through the mess of underbrush without even looking back at her.

She clenched her fists. She was tired of feeling so left out, so shunned. Who cared about Carlisle, anyway? If he didn't care about her, why did she bother to care about him?

"Nothing," she spat acidly. "I was just going to tell you your fly is down."

He stopped, but didn't seem taken aback. Without looking back, he murmured, "And you meant to 'deal with it' on your own?"

She blushed (in the way only a vampire can) and shook her head. She was about to say something when she watched with satisfaction as Carlisle, as casually as possible, checked his pants.

"Well then," Xan chuckled, "I'd better get going." she turned to leave when Carlisle called out, "Wait."

She sighed and looked back. "What is it, Car? Really, if those Indians found out I was still here..."

"They're Native Americans, Xan."

"I know. I was insulting them."

"That's oddly childish of you, Xan."

"So? I can be crude when I want to be."

"This isn't like you, Xan. Stop it."

Xan flew forward, crashing into Carlisle so fast he barely had time to register it. They tumbled down a decline and just missed a ravine, smashing into a large oak and frightening away a few startled squirrels.

"Shut up," Xan cried, closing her hands around Carlisle's throat even though she knew full well she couldn't and wouldn't hurt him. "You have absolutely no right to tell me what to say or do. You don't know how I _feel. _You let me come into your home, shun me, and eventually kick me out. I know I deserved to be treated the way I did, but I never thought you would actually give me what I deserved!"

All the time she was saying this, Carlisle sat against the tree, unmoving. He had angered her, and he was sorry for that. But he wasn't sorry for what he'd said.

"This was a bad experience...for everyone," Carlisle choked out. "I know Esme...must have told you that. But...you have to...accept it, and...move on. Be yourself...again...will you? Don't change yourself...because of this."

Xan was off him in a flash, walking away, trembling with rage and pure fury. "You have no idea what you're talking about," she hissed. "That's easy for you to say, in your detached look on it. You don't understand. I made a mistake, paid the price, and my best friend never was the same to me again."

She looked down, suddenly tired of her act. "Sorry for everything," she murmured. "I shouldn't have done what I did. Forgive me."

Carlisle nodded, rubbing his throat. "It's alright. And please, forgive me for what I've done."

She nodded.

Xan looked back, staring at the vampire as he gracefully rose, brushing himself off. She thought for a moment that maybe, just maybe, she could go back. Start over, clean slate. Maybe the kids would take her back. Esme would be glad to see her. Everything would be ok.

But then Carlisle started to drift back home, saying, "Get out of here soon. You don't want to have any of those Quileutes finding you." And then, he was gone.

Xan stared up at the sky. Well, she had gone full circle. Now, she was still in the same spot. Shunned, unsure of what to do.

Sighing, she trudged back into her aimless wandering, still indecisive on what the hell she was supposed to do.

"Ugh, it's just like they say," she muttered. "Life's a bitch, then you die. I should be so lucky."

--

_Wait, did Edward say that last line once? I forget. Whatever._


	17. Crap, Crap, Crap

_Hey, I know it's been a while since I put up a chapter, though its probably been less than a week, but I'm back in school from spring break. Or, was it just February break? Do we get another week-long break? Hmm. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy._

--

"Hey, is Bella here yet?" Emmett cried, tossing a baseball to Rosalie idly. They'd been waiting on Edward and Bella for some time.

"Patience is a virtue," Carlisle reminded him.

"What does a vampire know about virtue?" Emmett chuckled darkly.

Suddenly, an odd noise filled their ears. Edward and Bella stepped out of the gloom and into the stormy field.

"Was that you we heard, Edward?" Esme asked.

"It sounded like a bear choking," Emmett clarified.

Bella smiled hesitantly. "That was him."

"Bella was being unintentionally funny," Edward explained.

They got ready for their baseball match. The sky was gray and dark, and the air heavy with humidity brought on by the oncoming storm.

Alice danced to the pitcher's spot and closed her eyes, smiling.

"It's time," she said.

--

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap..." Xan repeated, over and over and over.

"No," said the elderly man seated beside her. "B, seven."

Bingo houses are like old pizza. No fun and smell horrible. But, in Xan's case, still edible.

"I know," Xan told the man, whose name was Timothy, who'd been staring at her for the past eight minutes and forty-seven seconds, "That's not what I was referring to. I have this feeling--"

"I have this feeling, too," said an old woman, Ruth, across the table. "It's in my kidney. Doctor thinks it's stones."

Xan glared and continued. "This feeling like there's something I should be doing but don't know what."

Indeed, this was the only place she could think to go. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't rid herself of Forks. Carlisle didn't realize it, but she was still sticking around, in the shadows. She'd been trying to keep away from them, though, which was proving difficult. God, she wished she had more of a life. Er, existence.

And she was tailing those rotten vampires that had snuck into the area, but she currently didn't really know where they were, which is astounding for a vampire of Xan's status. Still, she _did _have a lot on her mind.

Disaster was lurking ahead, and Xan knew it. In all her years, she'd gained this sense. And she hated it, because though she knew something bad was going to happen, she didn't know what it was. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, she only became aware of this sense when she was in bad mood. Meaning she had no way of knowing she'd mess up all her chances with the Cullen family.

"F-f-f-f-five," said the senior up front.

"The l-letter?" said some random woman up front.

"E?"

"No! The Bingo letter!"

"E-eleven?"

Xan's fingers pressed into the table. God, if she could find a way to kill herself, she would, in an instant. But she knew she wouldn't really, considering she had been in the Volturi guard for a number of centuries and knew many unpleasant ways of terminating a vampire's life, especially since she'd traveled in the south and had gone on rampages bent on massacreing the existence the vampire children.

Damn it, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, there was this feeling in her gut that _commanded _her to find Carlisle. Maybe it was the age-old sense that something was up. Maybe it was just her clingy-ness. In any case, she knew she couldn't avoid it.

"Sorry, Timothy and Ruth, but I gotta go," Xan said, rising from her seat.

"J-just one more round," asked Tim.

"F-four, O."

Xan stared down at her sheet. Placing a marker down, she passed it to the human. "Here," she said cheerfully. "For you."

She promptly left.

"You been eyeing her paper a looong time," Ruth said to him. "Is that what you were staring at?"

He chuckled. "Suuuure."

(Whatever the hell that means.)

--

It started the moment Xan reached the clearing. She hadn't meant to make her presence known to her old friends, but it soon became apparent it would be the only option.

The three elegantly emerged from the forest, the Cullen family watching them closely from their distance a while away. The Bella girl, plain as always, was hidden behind the bunch of them.

Xan's shoulders slumped. "Crap."


	18. Hellz Yeah

_Ok, ok, I didn't go into Twilight to find the __**exact **__words used, I'm going with what I know happened. I'm not quoting the book. Ok? Ok._

--

The three grinned at the Cullen coven.

"Hey," said the leader. "We thought we heard a game. Mind if we join? I'm Laurent, and this is James and Victoria."

Carlisle looked so God-damned calm. He could always do that. Even for a vampire, in the toughest of situations he was always so calm, so collected. Xan envied him for it.

"Sure, we were just finishing here," Carlisle said cheerily. "I'm Carlisle, and this is Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, Edward and Bella."

He said "Bella" without hesitation. This angered Xan. Bella, on her probable first meeting with the whole coven, was now a part of the family. Even though in this situation a lie for her must be uttered, it still burned. Xan was almost tempted to turn around and leave right then.

But she knew it wasn't Bella's fault. She was just a clumsy, stupid human. She would deal with her family issues concerning Carlisle later.

She stepped out of the woods, pretending to have just arrived. "Carlisle! Sorry I'm late--Oh, who are these wonderful peoplez?"

More than a little surprised, each swiftly rotated their heads to the right and stared at her suspiciously. Edward seemed positively furious. It was oddly satisfying for her.

She smiled innocently at them. "Sorry, my car broke down. You know, trying to drive. Under_age_." She spat the word menacingly.

"Immortal child?" James grunted.

"Oh, no," Carlisle laughed. "No, she's above the limit for age. Completely fine." He stared at Xan meaningfully. She beamed at the notion of being older than the limit. Being older. _Yes._

All this time she was coming closer, and closer. She could feel a strong breeze coming. If she could just...get to Bella...there was something she could do.

Carlisle realized this. He remembered her ability, finally. He smiled to the newcomers. "Yes, well, we're done with this game. Would you like to join us at our home?"

A little startled at the prospect of a vampire having a home, they nodded. "That would be...nice." Laurent said sociably.

Xan was by Bella just as a strong wind blew up. Reaching out, she clamped onto her arm, much to Bella's surprise.

Suddenly, it was like a force field had picked up. Which has happened, really. Gently, so as not to be noticable, Xan had created an invisible field that would completely block out every sense anyone could have concerning another. This was her ability. Not only could vampire abilities be blocked, both mental and physical, but senses such as hearing and touch were impossible. Sight was the only thing allowed, and to the naked eye it seemed nothing had changed.

Most importantly, it blocked scent.

The breeze passed, and the strange trio didn't notice Bella's humanity. The Cullens, besides Carlisle, were stunned.

"Yes, well," Carlisle said, to break the sudden tension that had formed among his family. "Edward, Bella, Emmett and Alice will take the Jeep as I escort these fine young vampires to our home. Right?"

Everyone nodded, and they started to dissipate. Carlisle was leading the three opposite the leaving Edward and company.

Everything was golden. Xan had saved the day. She had proven she was useful, and that she wasn't full of mistakes. She couldn't wait to boast to Edward later. No, no, she'd act humble. Then he'd be, "Oh, my gosh, Xan, you're so awesome. I never knew. Please let me be your servant for always!" And then Xan would be like, "Hellz yeah." The idea of Edward thinking she was cool was, as before with his seething glare, oddly satisfying. How very strange.

Xan chuckled as she continued to hold onto Bella's arm, who was starting to only vaguely remember her. She was so dumb. Until...

A rumble of thunder echoed throughout the meadow, causing Edward to become more tense. He jerked Bella forward gently by the arm, urging her faster towards the Jeep and away from those bloodthirsty demon leeches.

This slight motion, however, caused Xan to lose her grip on Bella for just a second.

It was enough.

The wind blew with the promise of rain, throwing Bella's scent down to that tracker, James. His head jerked backward, zeroing in on Bella.

"Craaaaaaap," Xan muttered.

--

_God dammit, I keep adding things. Oh, she has an ability. Oh, she's 3000, so she can make mistakes and has dull senses. Blah...sorry. It's not flowing. It must look as if new ideas are coming to me while I'm writing. And, in actuality, they are, sometimes. Sorry. If it seems that way, it's probably true. I'll try to avoid doing that as much as possible._

_Oh yeah, and sorry to all fans who like the Bella character. I dislike her, for all her clumsiness and always blaming herself for __**everything**__ (which gets __**really **__annoying) so Xan makes fun of her in her head, and in the story it's because she's human, but my original aim was to wear her down. I don't like Bella. She gets to hang out with vampires and werewolves, and I don't. Unless, I __**do **__hang out with them..._

_Whoo. Weird._


	19. It's MY Fault?

Everything happened fast.

In an instant, Laurent and Victoria were holding James back, as he tried to calm himself. The entirety of the Cullens, including Xan, were surrounding Bella.

"Why do you have a _human _with you?" Laurent asked, a hand on James's shoulder.

"She's with us," Carlisle said simply.

"A human?"

"Yes."

They stood a distance away from each other, saying nothing. Edward growled fiercely, perhaps at something that James had said in his mind.

Xan gripped Bella's arm, hoping to erase the scent so James would forget it. But it didn't seem likely. He had gotten a good whiff and now he seemed ravenous.

"How'd you cover her scent?" James asked, for a moment distracting himself from the glory of Bella's intense smell.

"I have an ability," was all Xan muttered.

"Huh. The _child _has that strong an ability?"

Xan quickly let go of Bella's arm so she wouldn't snap it while she clenched her fists in rage.

"Shut up, vermin," Xan snarled, lips curling over bared teeth. "I'm older than you, combined with all your idiotic friends, times thirty-three...and..." she did the math, estimating their ages. "...and a half. Respect me."

James chuckled darkly. "Is that so, kiddie?"

Carlisle smiled. He knew James was being the most stupid he could be.

"What did you call me, asshole?" said Xan, stepping between Emmett and Jasper to stare straight into James's overconfident eyes. "I don't think you know who you're talking to."

"A nobody, no doubt." James grinned, crossing his arms. "Just hand the human over and we'll leave."

Feirce howls erupted among the Cullens.

"Get real," Xan barked. "How about you go and never show your ugly mugs around here again."

Howls of agreement.

"I'm very sorry," Laurent mediated, gripping James's arm tightly. "We didn't mean any harm. Right, James?"

He grunted.

Victoria whispered something to him so low that even Xan couldn't hear it. Then, slowly, without a good-bye, they backed away and disappeared into the forest.

Edward, in a fit of anger, smashed his hand into the ground with a loud _crack. _The ground opened up into a fissure wide enough to make Hercules jealous. Xan didn't flinch.

"You!" he cried, pointing straight at Xan through the throng of vampires that made up his family. Bella backed away from him.

"Me?" Xan asked, pointing to herself. She'd tried to help. How could he possibly turn this around to be her fault?

"You knew they were coming, didn't you?" Edward hissed. "You knew they were here!"

"I knew they were here, but I didn't want to bother you," Xan mumbled, holding her hands up in defense. "Besides, you realized their presence, right?"

"But if you had told us earlier..." Edward reasoned.

"Edward, calm down," Carlisle soothed, putting a hand to his shoulder. "Xan was only trying to help."

"You let her arm go!" Edward barked, pointing to Bella.

"You moved her too fast," Xan pointed out.

"I don't know what their doing," Edward whispered darkly, "Because they had you on their minds, too."

Xan sighed. This had happened before. She had an amazing ability, but it hindered those she wanted to help, sometimes.

"And you should have been long gone!" Edward added fiercely.

"What would have happened if she wasn't here, Edward?" Esme asked him.

"Same thing," Edward provided. "Except we would know what their plan of attack is!"

"You know they're going to attack?" Jasper asked.

"Of _course_," Edward roared. Bella cowered near Esme. "He's a tracker, Jasper! A tracker!"

_What have I __**done**__? _Xan thought to herself.

Carlisle, thankfully, was still willing to stand up for her. "She tried to protect Bella," he said to everyone, "Though she barely knew her. Though we had been so cruel to her."

"If we were so cruel to her, why didn't she leave?" Edward asked in fury.

Carlisle stared him down with blazing eyes. "She was a member of the Volturi guard! Do you really think she'll be of no use to us?"

_Great, _Xan thought. _I'm nothing but a tool. Then again, was I ever not? To anyone?_

"Fine," Edward said in resignation. "She'll help." Sighing, he turned to his family. "Jasper, Alice, Emmett, lets get to the Jeep and sort this out. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, follow them."

With a quick nod, Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie were gone. Edward turned to Xan.

"Yeah?" Xan asked hesitantly.

"You mess up, you're dead," Edward growled so fiercely it made even Xan a little queasy inside.

"Now," he said just as scarily, "You're going to follow the Jeep. We'll contant you if we need you. Understood?"

Xan didn't need this. What was the point? She didn't _have _to help them. Why was she even bothering to be bossed around? Why were they assuming she'd do as they said, while spoken to so rudely, with such lack of respect? What would she get in return, at the end? Nothing, and she knew it.

But the point was, she didn't have anything else to do in her life. Volturi? Bleck. Friends? Barely any. Carlisle needed her, and though he had been a terrible friend recently, she had an obligation, as a comrade. As a friend. As a person. An obligation to Carlisle, and to herself.

"Understood."


	20. Brothers, Lovers, Friends

_Oh mee gee! It's chapter number 20! Wow. We've come so far. No, not really. Well, yeah, I guess. Hope you like the chapter!_

--

Xan didn't pay any attention to what was being said in the car. She tried to concentrate, because she knew she needed to know what they were saying. But she just couldn't. She was lost in her own, sad world, running throughout the wilderness.

She found herself remembering her past. Her little brothers, Sable and Fitzroy. Blond-haired cutie pies. Her parents, Garland and Aceline. They'd been hunters, since this was the dawn of the farming era and they hadn't been aquainted quite yet with farming tools and such, but life was good anyhow.

She tried to remember them, but couldn't. Her only memories of them had been in her human days, and the only ones in her vampiric days was when she had been standing over their dead bodies.

Except for Fitzroy. She hadn't been able to kill him. Remember, she'd been quite risilient, though not perfect, hence her parents' deaths. Sable, unfortunately, had not won Xan's favor, as did Fitzroy, and had perished, along with a few dozen others who had been in a ten-mile radius on that horrible night three days after meeting that wretched man in the woods who had bitten her so savagely.

But Fitzroy, oh, Fitzroy. A pretty little two-year-old with the widest blue eyes you'd ever seen. How innocent he looked, even after bawling his eyes out after all the carnage he couldn't understand surrounding him. Xan let him be, for she loved him so. Saw him years later, a servant of thirty-two at the side of a king of a small town. He hadn't recognized her, but she had him, and was choked up at the beautiful boy's growth.

Meeting her first of three lovers. Now, that was something. It had been a few centuries after her turning, and she'd met this beautiful man, Italian, by the name of Aldo. Sixteen, bright, a scribe of sorts, with such a dark color of hair. He'd instantly taken a liking to her and married her without much permission, but Xan had consented, for sure. The marriage lasted a month before Xan foolishly slaughtered him, forcing her to become an outlaw of the place.

That had to be one of the happiest months of Xan's life. Short, yes, but lacking in love and fun? Nope.

A sudden light caught Xan off-guard. The Jeep had made a swift turn and was now heading in a different direction down the dark highway. Xan paid it almost no mind, continuing behind close but at a snail's pace to vampiric standards.

Her mind dawdled onto different experiences for a period of time, stopping to rest on a time she had ventured into this very area, a thousand years ago, give or take a century. Man, the wolves here were huge! That was why she'd warned Carlisle in her note, about the strange beasts who turned from human to wolf. Of course, they weren't nearly as frightening as some of the monsters she'd dealt with--you wouldn't believe how many legends many humans nowadays take for simple myths only gullible children would become frightened of.

And that gigantic werewolf that attacked Caius--what a sight! Xan was happy at the thought, suddenly, for she'd been angry at Caius at the time. Served him right, the angry old fool.

Still, she loved the old coot. They'd had a fling once, only lasted a decade. Though they'd "broken up" and she knew she could never stand his negative look on things, she knew she loved him, somewhere in her heart.

He'd been her second lover. This was before any of the wives came into the picture. Her third came a decade or so later, when she'd found a vampire that looked about twenty but had been born only a century after her. She thought she'd spend the rest of her days with him--he was a Nordic man, by the name of Hvatgeirr. Unfortunately he was killed during the raid of the South.

So she was all alone. Well, single, anyway. She'd always had some friends. More when she'd been with the Volturi. She only found her real friends on her times away from the Volturi, because most of them only pretended because they were afraid of her. How rude.

But Carlisle had always been there for her. Always. He'd never been so selfish and immature, and was always true in whatever he did.

Thinking of Carlisle made her remember her sticky situation just as they reached Bella's home. Alice escaped from the car and filled Xan in on what was going on. They were going to Pheonix, but Xan was to stay here and do whatever she could to get James off-track.

Wow. So exciting. Sarcasm.

She watched and heard with jealousy as Edward valiantly helped Bella pack and get back into the car, all the while acting super-protective, caring, and loving. No, not acting, _being. _Xan unconsciously clenched her fists with rage. Why, oh why, was everyone but her allowed to have a love? Why did hers always die, or turn out to be the wrong one?

_Why?_

--

_Well, that's the end of this chapter. Damn, I love looking up old names. Seriously, the ones I have in here came from websites that told me old names. Man, I never knew Nordic ones were so odd. I'm not sure how you pronounce that one. Whatevs. _

_Well, now you know most of Xan's past! Squee! I had an urge to do this. It was fun. I loved the name Fitzroy when I found it. And Sable, too. _

_Bye!!_


	21. Life, Er, Existence, is Not Easy

"...Ok, and, down by the river..."

Planning coordinates. Yippee.

Xan stared out the window of the gigantic Cullen mansion with Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie--ok, everyone but Bella, Alice and Jasper.

Leading a vampire off-track. This was a difficult thing to do. Vampires have a very keen sense of smell, and other senses, Xan knew. And the Cullens were rather...young, and unexperienced in this art. So, they decided to dump the responsibility dominantly on Xan, for she was Volturi.

"And here...here, too, don't forget," Edward said harshly, pointing to a spot on the map.

_Hmm. Yup. I'm really paying attention,_ Xan thought to herself.

"Are you listening, Alexandrine?" Carlisle prompted.

Xan looked up at him in a slanted gaze. "Eh? Yeah, yeah, the river," Xan said, waving it away.

"Don't just shrug this off!" Edward growled. "If we get it wrong..."

"_We_?" Xan argued. "I thought _I _was doing it all?"

"We don't have time for a petty little argument," Edward snapped, ripping the map of the Olympic region from her loose fingers. "Bella could get hurt if we don't do it all right!"

"Bella, Bella, Bella," Xan mocked. "That's all you ever say. Bella this, Bella that. Will you shut up already?"

Edward seemed about to cut her to ribbons. Emmett was getting edgy, as if he was about to jump in.

"You got us into this mess!" Edward blamed. "Now, get us out!"

"I did not!" Xan disagreed with a shout. "It's not my fault at all!" Her loud voice rang throughout the garage in which they were planning within.

Carlisle put a hand on both of their shoulders. "Now, let's calm down," he mediated. "Xan, why don't you hurry--go ahead, take Bella's shirt. And remember, once you've done the route, hop on the earliest plane and get to Pheonix, to protect Bella. We'll finish up here after you're gone."

Xan roughly took it from him and stared at it with disgust. It was a shirt Bella had worn and they'd stolen from her hamper.

"I don't have to do this, you know," Xan mumbled sheepishly. She'd tried her best to be noble about it, shrug it off, not let anyone know how much she was doing for them. But it wasn't working. She hated their condescending looks. She was Volturi!

Edward scoffed. "You really think Carlisle would ever forgive you if you didn't? Go!"

At that, Xan ran, for fear they'd sense her extreme discomfort over what Edward had said and done. Thank God Jasper wasn't there.

Her life was horrible. She just wanted peace. How had it all gone so wrong?

She was everywhere at once, laying a clean trail. She held her breath to prevent any of its scent to mark the trees, wore the least amount of clothes possible, and made sure the scent was thick, heavy, but not overly so. A clear track, but not unconvincing. And she used her baseball cap to run her own scent here and there, to make sure James knew there had been vampires involved as well. It would seem unrealistic if Bella had escaped on her own. Because, well, Bella couldn't save herself from a butterfly, and at that probably hurt herself in the process.

All the while, she focused on memories, some of which were awfully fuzzy. Sable, covered head to toe in mud. Fitzroy, smiling, wearing his favorite tunic, following Xan while she washed the dishes. (A womanly chore no man would e_ver _lower himself to do, because they're so great...) Her father, Garland, allowing Alexandrine to watch as he caught a simple gray rabbit in a field. Her mother, Aceline, teaching her to sew. Laughing, loving, living...dying...

But! Anyway! Aldo, smiling, learning to farm...telling Xan he thought she was a witch, but didn't care...dying...

But! Anyway! Hvatgeirr, hunting with her, laughing with her, teasing her...dying...

But! Anyway! Caius, Aro, and Marcus...Aro joking with Caius, Caius answering with an evil joke and Marcus not reacting in the slightest...heh, good times.

Not dying. That's what never changed, with them. They never died.

Xan smiled. Well, at least _that _was something that never changed.

Before she knew it, she was entering the airport, stinking. She should have changed and showered. Whatever.

She boarded a flight to the Pheonix area and snuggled into a relaxing first-class seat, by herself, as she stared out the window. She'd forged Carlisle's signature on a few things, to allow her to go.

Time finally started to slow down. The flight seemed like it would take a long time, and Xan was glad. She lied back in her seat, feeling, almost, exhausted. Well, her mind needed this sudden break from all the tension.

She stared out the window, at the now, fastly, disappearing ground. It was dark out, but she could see perfectly. It was so beautiful, in its own right. It had been immensely pretty without all the humans and all, but it was still handsome now. Nothing could taint the earth's beauty, Xan realized. They might pollute it, and make it ugly, but it wasn't the earth that made it ugly--man had done that. The earth could never be ruined.

Xan giggled, feeling as if she had unlocked one of the greatest secrets in life and would never tell another.

A woman came by, asking if she wanted a drink. Xan declined and snuggled back into her seat, trying to ignore the burning thirst that now awakened.

She had caught a glimpse of relaxation for a moment, had caught a glimpse of the sunny side. Now, she had to deal with the burning and, inevitably, her situation.

Ugh. Life wasn't getting any easier, was it?


	22. Bella's Behavior

_Sorry it took so long to post this. I was just being lazy and I had school...so, yeah. But, here it is! I need to post some stuff for my other stories soon, too..._

_By the way, I'm making a lot of stuff up as I go along. During this chapter, I forgot a lot of what happened in the book. I went back and reread a bit, but not thoroughly. The times they did this or that might be off. Bear with me, please. It's not perfect by any means._

--

It was a relief, arriving in Pheonix. Sure, hiding from the sun was a downside. But upon entering the hotel room that Jasper, Alice and Bella occupied, she felt more welcomed than she had in a while. Edward had been thoroughly opposed to Xan spending any time with Bella with only two vampires present, but they all knew Bella would be most safe this way.

Bella was fascinated by her. She'd never met someone from the Volturi, besides Carlisle, but he didn't really count. Now, as Xan told her all she could about the Volturi and her past, Bella seemed entranced. It felt good, because it had been a long while since anyone had been even remotely interested in her at all. Her situation had made many, specifically the Cullens, dislike her, and in Edward's case, despise her.

Not only that, but she felt she could even tell Bella about her human family, as well as past mates. She didn't do that with many. Bella listened well. For all her faults--and there were many--Xan could talk to her.

But she sensed something. Bella listened, and responded, but there was something else on her mind. This was obvious in how she averted her eyes and nodded, sometimes only half-listening. In the beginning she'd been attentive, but now she was drifting off. It was very disconcerting.

Two days into the stay, after Bella had gotten off the phone with Edward, Xan confronted her.

"Hey, Bella," she said, waving her over to the couch. Alice and Jasper were busy speaking with Carlisle on the phone.

Bella sat, but again averted her eyes.

"Bella, what's going on?" Xan asked, leaning back and scrutinizing her.

Bella snapped to attention. "Oh, nothing," she said, a little too quickly.

"Bella," Xan chuckled. "I'm three thousand. You think I haven't learned _every secret _about humans? Language, physical and verbal?"

Bella shrugged. Did she seriously think she could get away with this?

"The darting of your eyes," Xan provided. "Never looking at me. Answering too quickly, as if you had something to hide. Becoming attentive only when prompted about your recent behavior."

Bella clenched two fists. She shook her head. "Nothing's up!" she growled lowly, not in a menacing, provoking way but in a "back off" manner. "It's none of your business, anyway!"

She stood up and stormed into her room, shutting the door loudly.

"Suddenly becoming angry and storming out," Xan murmured.

A few days passed. Whenever pushed, Bella would defend but remain silent. Alice and Jasper apparently decided Xan would have to deal with it. They didn't do this in a vindictive way, they just came to the conclusion that Xan would handle it while they worked hard on other matters.

It seemed Edward and the rest were being successful. Edward would be arriving shortly at the airport. After switching hotels, they readied themselves to meet Edward and finish off this mission.

On the drive to the airport--it was late evening, the sun was setting and there wasn't a huge risk of exposing themselves--Bella handed Xan an envelope. Jasper and Alice were speaking in low tones in the front seats of the Jeep, and didn't pay any attention to them.

Xan stared at it in the palm of her hand, then sniffed it. So human.

"What is it?" she asked. The front of the envelope read, _Edward._

"Give this to him, please," Bella asked, in almost a pleading tone. Her voice sounded a tad raspy.

_Is she going to cry? _Xan wondered. "Well, _you_ can," Xan said cheerily, though she was masking slight worry. "You'll be seeing him shortly."

She nodded, but seemed not to believe it. "I won't be able to give it to him," she murmured. Xan had the feeling she meant that to mean, "I'll be too emotional to hand it to him." But Xan knew it was more. Would she not _be _there?

Xan wondered what to do. Should she confront her once and for all? If she became emotional, Edward would surely blame her for it. What if it was nothing? What if she really did mean she'd be too consumed in her foolish human feelings to hand him the paper?

Xan placed the letter into her inside coat pocket and remained silent the remainder of the ride.

Once at the airport, they had ten minutes to wait. Patiently, they sat in uncomfortable airport chairs, and were questioned more than once about why they were there by suspicious workers.

Just before the plane landed, Bella stood unsteadily.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she mumbled.

Xan squinted hard at her.

"Ok," Alice allowed, standing.

"Alone," Bella quickly stated.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Why...?"

"I'm a little emotional, ok?" Bella mumbled pathetically.

Alice nodded. "Alright."

Many feeling welled inside Xan. Should she follow? Stop her? Demand the truth? Maybe she really did need to go? Maybe she was imagining this?

She couldn't cause a rucus in an airport. It would draw unneeded attention.

She quieted herself and stayed put.

Moments later, Edward arrived.

After hugging Alice, nodding at Jasper and ignoring Xan, he searched for Bella with his eyes. Apparently, he heard Alice in his mind explain it.

"She must be done by now!" he murmured, becoming uneasy and jumpy.

"I'll check the bathrooms," Alice decided, flitting away unnaturally fast.

Xan stayed where she was. The light feeling she'd been having for the past few days in a pressure-less setting was beginning to wear. Edward glared at her meaningfully until Alice hurried back.

"She's gone," she murmured tragically.

Bella had disappeared from the bathrooms. Vanished. Was missing in action, absent.

Gone.


	23. Blame, Blame, Blame!

Never had the vampire population of the Americas been so close to discovery as when Edward learned that Bella was missing.

It was impossible to contain him. He was practically on a rampage, checking every place imaginable. He even checked under the terribly furnished waiting seats, even though he was a vampire and would have obviously known if Bella had been there.

And where, do you think, was the blame turned?

"You were supposed to be watching her!" Edward hissed into Xan's expectant ear. Of course, this was the treatment she would receive...she was so stupid for having let Bella go.

And though she was regretful of her decision to ignore Bella's obviously suspicious behavior, she did not feel fully at fault. It was Jasper and Alice who hadn't paid as much attention as her. She had been eldest, and most likely to catch this odd demeanor of Bella's, but she was not totally at fault here, however old she was.

"Alice and Jasper didn't realize it either," Xan tried to calmly explain. "I'm not trying to pin the blame, but I don't think it's right to automatically assume--"

"We left her in your care specifically!" Jasper growled, starting to steer them towards the now darkened parking lot for a more private setting to have this now common sport of spitting words of acid down each other's throats.

"Why is everything all my fault, all the time?" Xan whimpered, clenching her fists, hoping she wouldn't lose control and total a parked car.

Edward shook his head. "You cause nothing but trouble!" he screeched, and thankfully, no one was near enough to hear in their little tirade on the third floor of the massive building used for parking cars at the airport. "Where _is _she?"

"If you shut up and let me concentrate," Alice spat through clenched teeth, "I could _tell _you."

Edward watched her expectantly.

Alice shook her head. "No! I meant, I need to look into the future! Give me a few seconds, will ya?"

Edward turned away in disgust, and was now one-on-one with Xan as Jasper led Alice away to a more quiet spot.

"You," was all he could manage.

Xan was tired of this. She completely shut down all her defenses and stared blankly at Edward, just waiting for the inevitable onslaught of insults.

"You're Volturi! You're thousands of years old!" Edward vented. "How could you not prevent this from happening?" Edward chuckled fiercely, darkly. "No, you let the vampires in the clearing smell her, so I guess this would just have to happen, too!"

Xan didn't feel like bothering herself enough in trying to explain to this unreceiving creature that was Edward that _he_ was the one who had caused that unfortunate situation. _He _was the true cause of this, not she. But would _he_ understand? _No._

"I bet you don't even care," Edward fumed. Suddenly, in an act of utter and total disrespect, Edward grabbed Xan's surprised shoulders and shook them angrily. Xan didn't resist because she was too stunned to respond. "I bet you love no one!" he yelled into her face, drawing a stare or two from surprised citizens nearby. "I bet you're just jealous that I have Bella, and you have no one, because you're a selfish pig!"

Though it _was_ true that Xan had been born on the year of the pig, as the Chinese Zodiac states, the rest was totally and utterly false. She wouldn't have stayed this long if she hadn't loved Carlisle. If she was jealous, she would have done far worse things than just let Bella go, at the risk of Alice and Jasper noticing. She _did _care, for she had spent all that time calming and spending time with the frightened and confused Bella. Finally, she was _not _selfish, for anyone with a brain could see she'd done all things humanly--er, vampirely--possible for Bella, Edward, Carlisle, and the rest of the Cullens, for that matter. And it was just plain _rude _and _offensive _of Edward to say she loved no one, because all she loved had died long ago, and she didn't need to be reminded.

But Edward just couldn't _see._ Xan understood his strong feelings for Bella and his worry for her safety, but if he really was considerate, he wouldn't be blaming everything on Xan. Though Xan understood that Edward would need someone to blame in this horrible occurrence, it still wasn't fair. And Xan was so full of the unfairness, that finally, in a fit of rage, the pot of wrongdoings committed against her finally tipped over.

"_Will you just shut the fuck up for once?!_"Xan hollered at the top of her lungs.

Edward was completely and effectively taken aback.

"That's all you ever do!" Xan cried. "Blame, blame, blame!" She started to mock and mimic Edward. "Oh, stupid Xan. She's totally purposely ruining my life. It's all her fault that she can't control her vampiric ability, which is making me act like a PMS-ing bitch 24/7. Of course, she had a natural grudge against the Cullens, so she deliberately betrayed them and killed those boys, because obviously her natural vampiric instinct is to make sure _no _harm is done to them. And she let those vampires smell Bella, because she just wanted to piss the fuck out of me. And the icing on the cake: she wanted to go to all the trouble of protecting Bella for Edward and Carlisle, just to let her go, because she felt like being an egotistical, self-centered Volturi asshole!"

Edward's hands dropped from her shoulders. He stumbled backward, catching himself only by bumping into the large car the Cullens owned. He seemed speechless.

Xan was a vampire and therefore was not breathless after her spiel, but for some reason she felt she needed to act breathless and angry to get her point across.

"I want to help you," she finally whispered. "That's all I ever wanted, was for you to know that I'm not what you expect and think you know me to be."

Edward nodded blankly. Finally, he cleared his throat, and murmured. "Uh, I'm...I'm sorry."

Though this should have made Xan jump for joy and tremble with happiness, she was oddly mute in her movements and voice. She just nodded and trudged, with heavy feet, over to Alice and Jasper, who had paid them no attention whatsoever.

"She's at a ballet studio," Alice murmured as Edward kneeled beside her. "Near her old home. Well, she's not there yet. She'll be there soon. I think..._he's _there."

Alice and Jasper jumped up and raced to the car, though somehow remembering to seem slightly human.

For once, Edward paused on his way to the car, looking back at Xan, who was slower in her movements.

His eyes searched hers, fearfully, and yearning for a certain something from her.

"It's ok," Xan assured with a small smile. "We'll find her. She'll be ok."

And Edward was at ease, if only slightly. Apparently, her promise was important to him.

It was then that Xan realized that Edward had been acting like a rebelling teenager, acting out towards a parent because he didn't like their ways or thought of them as not as smart as they had when they were a child.

But, in the end, a parent's a parent.

With a surprised but happy feeling in her gut, Xan hopped into the car with a renewed sense of hope and happiness.

--

_If you didn't understand, because I know it didn't turn out right--the ending meant that Edward had always thought of Xan as a type of parental figure, because she was older, and respected her. But he'd acted like a rebelling teenager, because he didn't think Xan was right--like many young adults, who realize their parents aren't superheroes, make mistakes, and then think that based on them they can do what they want._

_Yeah. So there's the explanation._

_Bye!_


	24. Saving a Human: For Dummies

The tension between a certain Cullen and a certain Ockley was palpable.

It wasn't that Edward was angry anymore, or that they were fighting--in fact, any trace of blame Edward had against Xan had evaporated. No, the tension was the fruit of their indecisive nature--they didn't understand their position. Is he/she my friend? Are we neutral? Enemies, to an extent? This caused a stuffy atmosphere, as to be expected.

But they didn't have time to worry about such trivial matters. Bella's life was on the line. Alice informed her that Bella was bent on forking herself over to James, because James had captured her mother--which, she realized, was false, as her vision foretold.

While Jasper drove crazily to their destination, Edward asked urgently for an update.

Alice shook her head. "My vision's blocked."

Xan lowered her head in shame.

"Whatever," Edward said, pushing aside any feelings of resentment, which momentarily surprised Xan. "How are we on time?"

Alice cringed. "We...uh...we're going as fast as we can, Edward," she said, edging around the dangerous question.

"Damn it!" Edward growled, banging his fist against Alice's seat.

Xan was worried. What if they didn't make it in time? It would be all her fault...and what if they _did _make it before..._something _happened. What then? What would, or could, they _do_?

The ballet studio could be seen by their vampiric eyes all the way down the boulevard. Gloomy and ominous, the city lights did nothing to ease its fear-inducing look.

Xan didn't second glance it. What was a dark building, compared to the horrors of the South or the bloody massacres of abominable vampire children? Or watching your loved ones die--or worse, watching yourself kill them?

Edward pounced from the car and into the building in a blur. Xan would have laughed at the funniness of this, if it had been any other situation.

Jasper, Alice and Xan were in the building in the blink of an eye. The maze-like corridors leading to the main room were nothing to a vampire's senses. Thankfully, they didn't need to find their way by the smell of blood.

They came upon a gloomy scene: James, holding a video camera, was holding Bella against his body, sharpened fingernail to her throat, while she screamed, crying that her leg was broken and the pain was just too much.

Edward looked about to break into a violent rampage that would make even Caius's wrath seem like children's play. But before he could do anything, James gave a grim warning:

"If you move an inch," he cackled, "and she gets it."

"If she 'gets it', you'll never see the light of day again," Edward practically roared.

"Hmm. But what would it matter?" James chortled. "You wouldn't have your precious _human _with you any longer."

Edward gave the most ferile, gutteral snarl that Xan had heard in the last 500 years, at least.

Xan hadn't a clue what to do. What was the logical plan of action? She never had a mission to save a _human _before_. _Well, sometimes the Volturi would exterminate vampires who were a risk to large amounts of humans and would draw too much attention to their kind, but never had an assignment been to rescue any in particular. And this situation was downright tricky: she was so close to death. Currently, she was close to fainting.

_Think! _Xan yelled at herself. _What should you do? What would a vampire like James want in return for her? What? What?!?_

And then it came to her. And it just _could _work.

And if it didn't, Bella would be lost forever.


	25. The Solution

"Hey! Wait a second!" Xan cried out, hoping to delay what this stupid maniac was planning to do, whatever it was. "How about a trade?"

"There's nothing you have that I want," James replied confidently, but it didn't take a 3000-year-old to realize he was willing to negotiate--at a high price.

"I think we do, though," Xan said softly, and the other three turned to her with confusion.

"How about...me?" Xan asked weakly.

James laughed outright. "The hell? Why would I want you?"

"I was in the Volturi," Xan explained, "so I can be of use to you. I...I know a lot of things. You're a great tracker, but not nearly as good as me. I could help you. And...being Volturi, I know of people...and places with the best scents and tastes around."

"Yeah?" James chuckled. "Like where? Who?"

"Well," Xan thought, "The people from Wales in the UN smell like oak trees. And the people in Oakland, New Zealand, smell like sea mammals, maybe even whales. Quite exotic, as you might imagine."

James was puzzled by her statement, but didn't show it. "So you know what every nationality of people smell like?"

"Pretty much," Xan said with satisfaction.

"Pretty much?" James questioned. "Not all?"

"No, no, all of them. I said 'pretty much' in a way that meant all of them. You know, a statement."

"But if you want me to believe you, why would you say 'pretty much'?"

"Because saying 'yeah' is boring," Xan said angrily.

"But 'yeah' would have made me want to trade with you more than I want to now! I do want to trade with you, but I would feel more like trading if you'd said 'yeah'. So, I'm still willing to trade, but not as much as I would have been! On a scale of one to ten, ten being, 'Hellz yeah I want that Volturi girl,' and one being, 'You know, I should just eat this Goddamn human and get it over with,' I'm right now at seven: 'I think it's a pretty sweet deal,' instead of eight or nine, which is basically: 'Hellz yeah I want that Volturi girl!'"

"But you said that, 'Hellz yeah I want that Volturi girl,' was ten!"

"I couldn't think of anything else to say!"

"It's easy! How about, 'Damn, I think I'll go with that deal,' or, 'That's a sick trade, I want that!' It's that simple!"

"I couldn't think of it," James boomed. "I had ADD as a human! I can't pay attention enough to figure it out!"

Edward, Alice and Jasper just looked on in disbelief, wondering how the hell such an insignificant phrase had turned into such a chaotic war.

Xan roared in seething rage. "Whatever! Yeah, I know what they all taste like! Every single fucking human on this fucking planet! Happy?"

James pursed his lips. "Hmm. Promise?"

Bella gave a pitiful whimper, causing Edward to tense.

"Yes. I promise," Xan said through clenched teeth.

Alice looked over at Xan and away from Bella. "You...really want to trade yourself?"

"Well, it's not like I'd die," Xan said. "Unlike Bella."

"How do I know once I fork this dismal creature over, you won't just run?" James questioned.

"Um," Xan thought. "I don't know. I could make a pledge or something. Seriously, I don't plan on it."

"Sure you don't," James said grudgingly. "And how do I know if there are better smelling prizes than this cute little blossom?"

Bella hung limply from his arms, looking nothing like a cute little blossom.

"Um," Xan said quickly, "You have my word?"

"Not enough!" James's eyes glinted. He'd gotten an idea.

Xan swallowed.

"That thing around your neck," he asked. "May I see it?"

Xan blinked, looking down. Around her neck hung a simple golden chain, and at the end of it a beautifully crafted golden medal-coin thingy. It was what all Volturi members wore; even Carlisle had one of those babies _somewhere. _Xan didn't feel any sentimental value for it, but decided if he thought she did, all the better.

"No," Xan said, acting as if she cared. "I can't do that!"

James bought it almost immediately. Poor, idiotic fool. "Hand it over, wench!" He held out his hand.

Xan clenched her teeth in mock contempt, pulled off the chain and chucked it into James's waiting hand, since he was standing across the room.

Carelessly, he threw Bella to the side, but before she could hit the floor Edward was catching her, dragging her away as tenderly as possible.

Xan, unhappily, trudged over to the waiting James, who was smiling victoriously.

Xan wasn't planning on tricking him. She'd proven she could be of use to Carlisle. She'd redeemed herself after her incident with those boys. Edward now could tolerate her. She'd saved a human that meant something to Edward, which was oddly comforting. And now, with James, she could make the Quileutes happy.

She felt like...she had done something good. Which wasn't something she could say she felt very often. She was almost ok with the idea of having to spend time with this revolting creature that was James.

Edward stood. He didn't feel the same.

"Come on, Xan," Edward pleaded, letting Jasper and Alice pull Bella away. "Come back. Your necklace doesn't matter; we'll get you another. Please, don't go with that scum!"

James giggled sardonically. "She already pledged herself to me! Nothing can be done!" he gripped Xan by the shoulders, which was immensely loathesome to her.

"It's ok, Edward," Xan smiled as best she could. "I'm ok. I'll live."

"There must be something I can do to stop this," he begged.

Xan shook her head sadly. Her face became slightly distorted as the closed windows that sat near the ceiling of the large ballet studio glinted with the refraction of the headlights of passing cars, ignorant of her, her kind, and her situation. Completely oblivious and uncaring, and this realization made Xan shudder in despair.

Edward became captivated by how old she looked as this occured. In the light, one could see her young looks and happy personality. Now, in the darkness, all he could really see was her eyes and the parts of her that were half illuminated. Her eyes seemed haunted of years of bloodshed, and he knew she'd seen things only nightmares could accomplish.

This reminded him of something he could say that might bring her back. Something Carlisle had mentioned, way back when...

His expression changed from begging to mocking in an instant. "Well," he said arrogantly, "What can you expect from such a _little girl_?"

Xan became instantly alert, now on edge. "What did you say?"

"You're just too young to understand," Edward said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe when you're older--"

Xan shook her head. "I could come back if I wanted to, but--"

"No you couldn't," James laughed.

"I could," Xan repeated.

"No," James objected. "I have your medallion!"

"You honestly think I care about that thing?" Xan asked, amazed.

He seemed confused. "I thought all children liked--"

He was abruptly, rudely, cut off by the cracking of his skull connecting with Xan's hardened fist.

He flew backwards, right into the back cement wall. Xan took a deep breath and shouted, higher than any human could comprehend or any animal could copy: "I AM _NOT_ A CHILD!!!!"

Edward happily joined her in the mashing, smashing, and crashing of the lump of stone that was James. After a moment or two, Jasper and Alice helped, and they managed to set up a fire to burn him to death.

Xan wished they could just sit around the fire, watching the thing that had once contained a horrible soul go up in flames, but they had Bella to attend to. She had a broken leg, and a few other injuries.

Everything was finally as it should be. Well, besides Bella, since she needed to get to a hospital pronto. But otherwise, things were nice.

And that was exactly what Alexandrine Ockley had longed for this entire time.


	26. Epilogue

_Everyone: this may be the Epilogue, but it's not the end. I'm making a sequel to this story, so no worries!_

_Oh, yeah, here's this: Xan spoke French in this chapter. I take French in school, but I'm not all that good at it, so I used a translator, and tweaked it a bit--it might have some grammar errors. I'll tell you what she said at the bottom._

_Also, I tried to make the ending sound epic, but it might have sucked. Sorry._

--

Alexandrine Ockley waited with vampire patience outside Bella's hospital door. It's called vampire patience because no human could ever mimic it--vampires live, in a natural way, for what must be forever. Humans have but a hundred years--they're always in a hurry.

The door opened and Xan stood up straight--she'd been leaning against the wall.

Bella's father came out--and it was instantly apparent to Xan that he was wary of her. Of course he would be. Xan had almost forgotten her little "scuffle" with those chain smokers outside the school.

He walked briskly away, making an effort not to look back, but Xan could easily overhear his warning to the nurse to "keep an eye on her." Xan ignored this.

She entered the room slowly, as not to frighten Bella. Recently she'd started to consider herself a scary person, since all the humans seemed rather canny while in the immediate vicinity.

Bella looked over from where she was on her hospital bed and smiled. Xan was relieved--she hadn't known how Bella would react to her. Apparently she remembered Xan's overgenerous trade with James.

Edward sat next to her vigilantly, the only other soul in the room. Er--well--living thing. Er--well--person. Er--well--existing lifeform. Er--well--existing...thing.

"Hello, Bella," Xan murmured, gracefully seating herself on a chair opposite Edward's side. He didn't seem revolted by the thought of her being near his only reason for living. Er--well--existing.

"Hello," she whispered sleepily, waving a weak hand.

"Elle a sommeil," Xan smiled, speaking in perfect French. "J'espère qu'elle devient meilleure bientôt. Je pense elle est bon pour vous."

Edward understood, and answered, in _almost _a perfect accent, "Merci beaucoup, Xan. Je suis heureux vous pensez ainsi."

They were silent then, smiling. But soon their smiles faded as Bella began to drift off, and then a serious discussion had to be had.

Edward called Carlisle, but none of the others. He was the only one really needed.

He came immediately, even in the middle of an appointment. He wore his doctor's coat, and Xan couldn't help but feel proud of her old friend's achievements.

They left Bella alone with her mom--none of them really wanted to hear Renee fuss over Bella for an hour.

They went to a small, secluded cafe with but two other customers and sat alone in one corner. None of them bought a thing--they didn't really feel like pretending to be human at that point.

"Xan," Carlisle started, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "You know I love you, right?"

Xan nodded solemnly.

"And I'm very thankful for what you've done for me, Edward, Bella, and the rest of the family. I don't think we'll ever be able to repay you. And it's not even like you were obligated to do so--you did it from the kindness of that silent heart of yours. And, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say thank you for all you've done."

Edward nodded hastily, agreeing.

Xan just nodded once more and gestured for him to continue.

"Well," he sighed, sitting back in his chair and rubbing his temples, "even though we'd love for you to stay, we really don't believe that that's really an intelligent move on our part to make."Edward growled lowly. "Let's just hide her from the Quileutes," he suggested.

Carlisle shook his head. "It isn't that simple. They've probably realized how Bella was truly recaptured, and they'll come searching for her. We've already broken our promise to make her leave. And besides, we can't just force Xan to stay, locked up in our home. That's...well...inhumane. No pun intended, of course."

Xan raised her eyebrows. Carlisle was talking solely to Edward, like she wasn't there.

Well, she sure as hell was about to make her prescence known.

"I want to stay," she said. "I won't go out; I'll stay at the house. I'll do whatever conditions the Quileutes might force upon me. But they can't make me leave. I've no place to go to."

"The Volturi," Edward pointed out.

Xan laughed bitterly. "To that hellhole? Please. I like your lifestyle. It's...peaceful."

Carlisle smiled. "Alright, then, we'll try it." he stood. "I guess we should get back to Bella, then?"

Edward and Xan nodded in unison, stood in unison, and looked at each other in shock in unison. Then they smiled in unison.

"Well," Carlisle chuckled, "I guess you two will be able to tolerate each other this time around."

Xan smiled. "I guess so."

"Welcome to the family," Edward grinned, punching Xan lightly.

And the three Cullens left.

--

_"Elle a sommeil. J'espère qu'elle devient meilleure bientôt. Je pense elle est bon pour vous." This means: "She is sleepy. I hope she gets better soon. I think she's good for you."_

_"Merci beaucoup, Xan. Je suis heureux vous pensez ainsi." This means: "Thanks a lot, Xan. I'm happy you think so."_


	27. The Forgotten Promise

Bella's birthday party ends in tragedy, and the Cullens are gone.

But they haven't left Bella alone.

Dangers lurk in the most likely of places,

And a choice must be made.

Rivalries will spark,

Blood shall be shed,

And old memories shall be revealed in the most horrible of times.

Xan must put her Volturi abilities to good use,

but who will she be fighting for?

Xan's more of a cat person anyway.

**THE FORGOTTEN PROMISE.**

Can be found on Lukestur's homepage, a Borders near you, or in your local movie theatre.

No, actually, just the homepage and Borders.

No...actually...just my homepage...

Unfortunately.


End file.
